Quick Facts

NCICU is the statewide office for private,
non-profit colleges in North Carolina

• NCICU is comprised of 36 nonprofit, private liberal arts, research, and comprehensive colleges and universities across North Carolina.
• From traditional four-year coeducational institutions to women’s colleges to historically black colleges and universities, NCICU colleges and universities offer the full spectrum of the college experience. The oldest private two-year college in the nation also is part of the NCICU family.
• North Carolina independent colleges and universities serve the needs of:
  – 63,567 undergraduate students
  – 23,206 graduate and professional students
  – 51% of undergraduate students are from North Carolina
  – 30% of students are first generation college students
• More than 90% of the students on some campuses receive financial aid.
• NCICU’s colleges and universities award nearly 1 in 4 bachelor’s degrees in the state, and 1 in 3 graduate and professional degrees, including 60% of the medical degrees, 66% of the law degrees, 40% of the masters in Nursing, 92% of physician assistant degrees and 62% of the pharmacy degrees.
• Independent colleges and universities in North Carolina provided more than $760 million in institutional aid in 2020-2021, which equates to 68% of the total financial assistance received by students at North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities.
• North Carolina students at independent colleges and universities receive more than $89 million in need-based financial aid from the state.
• The independent colleges’ sector is one of the largest private employers in the state.
• Almost 1,300 individuals lead North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities through service on individual Boards of Trustees.
• Our student bodies are as diverse as our campuses. In 2020, approximately 57% of students were women, 42% were students of color and 49% of the undergraduate students attending our independent colleges and universities came from out of state.
• 47% of NC students at NCICU campuses receive federal Pell Grants.
• Each year, approximately 2,000 students transfer from community colleges in North Carolina to an independent college or university.