The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nation’s first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century. The cornerstone was laid for Old East, the nation’s first state university building, October 12, 1793. Hinton James, the first student, arrived from Wilmington, NC, February 12, 1795.

The 729-acre central campus includes the two oldest state university buildings, Old East and Person Hall. Old East and PlayMakers Theatre, an 1852 Greek-revival building, are National Historic Landmarks. The American Society of Landscape Architects selected the Carolina campus as one of the most beautifully landscaped spots in the country.

Carolina offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees in academic areas critical to North Carolina’s future: business, dentistry, education, law medicine, nursing, public health and social work, among others. Offerings include 71 bachelor’s, 107 master’s, 74 doctorate and 4 professional degree programs. The health sciences are well integrated with the liberal arts, basic sciences and high-tech programs.

The Carolina academic community benefits from a library of more than 5.7 million volumes and more than 53,000 serial subscriptions perennially ranks among the best research libraries in North America as judged by the Association of Research Libraries.

Several national publications regularly publish rankings that list Carolina prominently in categories ranging from academic quality to affordability to diversity to public service to international presence. Among them, U.S. News & World Report’s 2007 “Best Colleges” guidebook, lists Carolina as 5th best public university for the sixth consecutive year, 1st among public campuses for the second consecutive year, and 9th overall in “Great Schools, Great Prices,” based on academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid.

Beyond the academic offerings of UNC, the UNC Tarheels have captured the spirit of the region as top athletic performers. Basketball games are offered in the Dean Smith Center where nearly 22,000 seats are filled with fans. Concerts by renowned performers are often held there in the calm between home games.

For more information call 919-962-2211 or visit their website: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill