About UNC

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was founded in 1793 as the first public state university in the young United States. Since then, it has grown into one of the most renowned teaching and research universities in the country and internationally. It serves the citizens of North Carolina, but also draws students and faculty from around the world. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an excellent teaching and research institution and provides extensive library support for these central activities. The UNC campus has 16 libraries available to students. UNC’s library system is the 20th largest in the United States and holds 3.85 million volumes and is also accessible online.

North Carolina is nicknamed “the Tar Heel State” and UNC students and their athletic teams are known as Tar Heels. North Carolinians in general and UNC students in particular have proudly referred to themselves as Tar Heels for years. The distinctive pale blue footprint with a black spot on the heel is one of several symbols of UNC. That particular shade of pale blue, “Carolina blue,” is the habitual color of the North Carolina sky and is UNC’s school color.

Some specific important campus information:

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Office of International Student and Scholar Services
• College of Arts and Sciences
• Campus Life