More students are graduating from the University of North Carolina System within five years that at any other time in state history, according to new data presented to the UNC Board of Governors.

The UNC System’s overall strategic plan goals are aimed at making higher education more accessible while also improving student success. The UNC System met or exceeded 10 of the 12 benchmark goals set forward by the five-year strategic plan, which was unanimously approved by the UNC Board of Governors in 2017.

Among the notable highlights:

• The percentage of our students who graduate within five years has climbed steadily and now stands at 71.1 percent. That number exceeds the Strategic Plan’s 2022 goal (70 percent) and far outpaces the national average.
• UNC System students are earning their degrees more efficiently, which means they are saving tuition dollars and entering the workforce more quickly.
• For the second year in a row, the UNC System surpassed annual performance targets to increase the number of critical workforce degrees we award.
• The UNC System is serving and graduating more students from low-income backgrounds than ever before, despite national trends that show a decline in four-year college enrollment by low-income students. The same pattern is also true for students from North Carolina’s rural counties.
• The UNC System continues to grow its research capacity, surpassing $1.5 billion in the kind of sponsored research that drives statewide innovation and improvements in health and well-being.

This information is available on the UNC System website so that anyone can monitor the ongoing efforts to improve public higher education in North Carolina.

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