The first public liberal arts university founded for African-Americans, North Carolina Central University has been blazing trails since the day it was established back in 1910. A university that offers a number of degree programs, including selected doctorate’s, master’s, professional’s, and baccalaureate’s, the university consistently ranks high on US News and World Reports studies, including those on public HBCUs and master’s level studies, too.
| Overall Score (about) | 86.1 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $24,419 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT / SAT 75%ile scores | 20 / 1050 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 17 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 82% / 55% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 8,207 |
The university is split into three different colleges, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the College of Science and Technology, and the College of Liberal Arts. There are five different schools, including the School of Education, the School of Law, the School of Business, the School of Nursing, and the School of Library and Information Sciences.
For those who are looking to excel in the fields of biotechnology and biomedics, there are two acclaimed research institutes on campus: the Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute and the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise. The most popular fields of study on campus are biology, political science, business administration, and criminal justice, but undergraduates can choose from hundreds of different majors and programs of study.
For those pursuing a graduate degree, the university offers 36 different master’s degrees, including chemistry, counselor education, biology, history, earth sciences, library science, physics, sociology, and school administration. For those who are interested in taking a few classes here and there, there are evening and weekend classes as part of a degree program, as well as continuing education courses.
While the university may have initially opened its doors to provide a place of higher education for African-American students, the university stresses that it does not prohibit students of any race from applying, and is striving for a more diverse student body. The school offers an early admission application, which provides prospective students with the opportunity to know ahead of time where they will be attending college, allowing more time for preparing financial aid, applying for scholarships, and receiving prime assignments in residence halls on campus. There is no priority given to those early applicants, but logistically one’s chances are better for first choice.
Applicants in the undergraduate programs who are first-time college freshmen need to fill out the school’s application form and provide their official high school transcript or GPA, as well as their SAT or ACT test scores. It is often advised to go ahead and provide financial aid information, too. College transfers should provide all of that information and additionally, any proof of coursework in a post-secondary institution, even if that work may not carry over for official credit.
International students should provide the same information for application, but make sure their official transcript and diplomas are translated into English. Foreign students must also provide proof of their English competence. All applications require a processing fee, and students are free to apply for either the fall or spring semester, with applications needing to be in at least six months ahead of time for consideration for the following semester.
Most students here receive some sort of financial aid, be it in the form of grants or loans. There are a number of need and merit-based scholarships available through the school, and the Office of Financial Aid will be happy to make appointments with students to assist them in their scholarship search or FAFSA application.
In addition to scholarships, grants, and loans, the school also provides the opportunity for students who can prove financial need to work part-time on campus through the work-study program.
Student life here is a fantastic mix of class-related special activities, clubs and organizations, with plenty of time for students to relax and get in the swing of things with their own social circles. The school is famous for its marching band, has a number of different fraternities and sororities on campus, and also offers meeting spaces for students to gather and discuss topics, like the student center.
There are hundreds of clubs and organizations on campus. Some of the clubs include the Association of Students for Better Africa, the NCCU Undergraduate Honor Cadre, the Student Activities Board, and the Student Nursing Association.
Sports play a large part in the student culture at this university. The men and women’s teams are known as the Eagles, with the school colors of maroon and grey. A number of championship rings have been won by both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, with the men appearing in the NCAA Division II Tournament at least seven times in the school’s sports history. The men’s football and track and field teams have also made their way to numerous playoffs, as well as to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships.
Women’s volleyball is also a big deal, with the team appearing in the NCAA Division II Playoffs 2004 through 2006, and winning the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship four times in the past ten years. Women’s softball, basketball, and cross country teams have also been very successful.
No time on campus is quite as electric as when the Eagles are playing one of their rivals, the latest and greatest of which are the Duke Blue Devils. They also has athletic rivalries with North Carolina A&T State University and Winston-Salem State University.
In addition to the myriad of opportunities available to current students, the school boasts an impressive array of alumni, including professional basketball players, congressmen, CEOs, professional football players, the first African-American mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, and the editor-at-large of fashion magazine Vogue.
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