From Campus to Classroom: Stories That Shape Education
- North Carolina A&T posted an 81.2% first-year retention rate and celebrated its largest graduating class, over 3,200 degree recipients.
- Forbes ranked North Carolina A&T the No. 1 public HBCU; the university ranks among top 10 producers of Black graduates in 24 disciplines.
- The Graduate College topped 2,000 students with rising doctoral enrollment as A&T advances toward Carnegie Research 1 status.
- New programs, including a Ph.D. digital forensics concentration and Flight Path and Forever Learning, expand access and align with workforce needs.
North Carolina A&T has welcomed the largest freshman class in school history as the HBCU extends its enrollment growth streak to 13 consecutive years.
An estimated 15,700 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at North Carolina A&T for fall 2026. That total includes more than 800 transfer students and a record 3,214 first-year students.
The incoming freshman class arrived in East Greensboro with an average high school GPA of approximately 3.7. That academic profile shows the university’s enrollment growth has come while maintaining a competitive student body.
North Carolina A&T also established new benchmarks for student retention and graduation during the 2025-26 academic year. Its first-year retention rate reached 81.2 percent, while more than 3,200 students earned degrees. That marked the largest graduating class in university history.
“Student success is our top priority, campus-wide, and our success in that arena enables us to continue to grow graduation, our university’s most important outcome,” Chancellor James R. Martin II said.
HBCU growth meets workforce demand
The historic enrollment numbers arrive as North Carolina A&T receives greater national recognition. Forbes recently ranked the university as the nation’s No. 1 public HBCU in its inaugural HBCU rankings.
A&T also ranks among the nation’s top 10 producers of Black graduates in 24 academic disciplines. The university plays a significant role in preparing workers for engineering, health care, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, agriculture and business.
Every North Carolina A&T college experienced enrollment growth this fall. The John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences became the first A&T college to enroll more than 3,000 students.
Graduate education continues to expand as well. The Graduate College surpassed 2,000 students for the first time last year and grew again this fall, powered largely by doctoral enrollment.
That growth supports A&T’s effort to earn Carnegie Research 1 status, a designation reserved for universities with very high research spending and doctorate production.
New programs widen access
North Carolina A&T is also adding programs designed around changing workforce needs. Its Ph.D. program in criminal justice added a digital forensics concentration focused on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and online investigations.
The university continues to develop flexible options for adult learners through its Flight Path and Forever Learning initiatives. Flight Path offers condensed eight-week courses for working adults with previous college credits but no degree.
“These enrollment milestones reflect more than growth in numbers,” Provost Andrew P. Daire said. “They reflect growing confidence in the value of an N.C. A&T education.”
With more students entering, remaining in school and graduating, A&T’s latest enrollment milestone strengthens its position as a leading HBCU and a major source of talent for North Carolina and the nation.
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