Annual Report

UNCW rose in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings to 107th among public institutions in the nation. Individual programs and services also moved higher in the rankings, including nursing, business and psychology.

UNCW graduate programs are among the best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings. UNCW ranked in the Healthcare Management, Public Affairs and Education categories.

UNCW climbed in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings, demonstrating its commitment to academic accessibility and student success.

UNCW was named to the Best for Vets 2024 Colleges list from Military Times, the largest and most comprehensive ranking of schools for military service members and veterans. As a university founded to serve veterans after World War II, UNCW remains committed to serving its military-affiliated students.

UNCW earned a spot in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025. This marks the university’s eighth consecutive year in the bestselling guide.

The Campus Master Plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in August 2024. The plan draws on feedback from more than 1,700 students, faculty, staff, alumni and Wilmington community members.

In January 2025, UNCW started working on construction and renovation plans to support many areas. With the campus strategic and master plans as guides, UNCW is taking steps to expand Cameron Hall, renovate Kenan Auditorium and construct a new welcome center, hotel and conference center and student housing, among other projects. The university will also enhance programs in healthcare, education and other critical workforce areas and invest in the arts, athletics and other activities that bring the university and larger community together.

In February 2025, Dr. Yousry Sayed, a UNCW trustee, and his wife, Linda ’78, ’85M committed $25 million to UNCW to support healthcare initiatives and teacher recruitment, the largest philanthropic commitment in the university’s history. The Sayeds envision their gift as a foundation for creating opportunities in healthcare and teacher education.

The commitment allocates $20 million over five years to advance UNCW’s programs in medical education, clinical care, research and healthcare accessibility, supporting a wide range of healthcare professional workforce programs and research initiatives. Additionally, $5 million is designated for programs to recruit and train prospective teachers. A portion of this funding will support scholarships for individuals transitioning to a teaching career.

Over the next decade, the gift will enable the university to expand its reach in medical education and healthcare services and establish an academic health sciences center, positioning the university as a leader in these fields.

During the spring 2025 commencement ceremonies, Mrs. Sayed was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, the highest accolade the university can bestow on an individual, for her impactful contributions to the university, the Wilmington community and the state.

UNCW saw a record enrollment in fall 2024 — approximately 19,000; an increase of nearly 5% over fall 2023, a significant milestone for our 77-year-old institution.

UNCW’s success in supporting students throughout their academic career shows in a 2024-25 retention rate that increased by three points to 88%, also the highest in the university’s history.

More than 2,500 graduates of the Class of 2024 were honored in commencement ceremonies in December. In May, more than 3,100 students celebrated receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the first student to earn a doctoral degree in pharmaceutical chemistry from UNCW. 

260+ Student Organizations

Sources: UNCW Office of Institutional Research and Planning, UNC System Fact Sheets (fall enrollment numbers, current as of April 2024)

In August 2024, UNCW Library reopened to the community after the construction of its new building, Discovery Hall, and renovation of its original building, Randall Hall, which continues to honor the legacy of former Wilmington College President William Madison Randall.

Renovations include an event space with adjacent exhibit area; a new data Visualization and Analysis Lab; an enhanced and enlarged makerspace, recording studio and virtual reality space; and a new home for the Center for Southeast North Carolina Archives and History.

Carleigh Sion ’12 and Seth Rogers ’17 played important roles in bringing the spaces to fruition. Rogers is a project engineer at Balfour Beatty, the construction company that oversaw the project. Sion, a freelance artist, painted a mural in The Lookout, a 30-seat lounge on the third floor of Discovery Hall.

Building connections with North Carolina’s community colleges is paramount to UNCW. Transfer students from these schools accounted for 56% of the university’s fall transfer enrollment, a proportion that is growing, thanks to enhanced relationships with these valuable partners.

UNCW announced a partnership with six North Carolina community colleges that provides a new pathway for students to pursue a high school teaching career. The Secondary Teacher Education Partnership Initiative (STEP-IN) is designed to attract students to the teaching profession by providing ease of access for students in rural areas across the state.

UNCW is collaborating with Cape Fear Community College to launch the Pre-Hawk program. The initiative is aimed at providing CFCC students with a seamless transition to UNCW.

UNCW’s College of Health and Human Services and CFCC have partnered to implement “Try Teal” to address the critical shortage of nurses through the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership. This project is supported by a grant from The Endowment. In June 2025, UNCW hosted a community event at Discovery Hall to present progress on the partnership.

A new collaboration with Colorado State empowers UNCW’s intelligent systems engineering and computer science students to more easily pursue doctorates in these high-demand fields. Our students and faculty continue to pursue research endeavors that reflect the breadth and depth of humans’ quest for knowledge and experience, bringing in $14.5 million in year-to-date funding as of December 2024.

UNCW is growing its reach by collaborating with respected international institutions. In October 2024, we hosted visitors from the University of Algarve, a public university in Portugal, the University of Hull, a public university in the United Kingdom and GITAM, a private university in India. The university signed memorandums of understanding with these institutions.

UNCW also recently extended a long-standing partnership with the Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences. Chancellor Volety visited the university in Chongqing, China, where he met with university President Huang and his leadership team. The chancellor formalized the extension of a dual-degree agreement with CUAS and met with students, UNCW alumni, faculty teaching in Chongqing, and CUAS administrators, faculty and staff.

The Chancellor’s Dare to Learn Lecture is an exploration of leadership. Guest speakers share their stories, experiences and lessons learned. The university’s Latin motto, Discere Aude, translates as “dare to learn.” 

UNCW soared to its seventh CAA Men’s Basketball Championship and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, capping a season with the second-most wins in program history.

The men’s tennis team won its fifth straight CAA championship.

For the third consecutive season, UNCW swept the CAA swimming and diving championships. For the Seahawk men, it was the program’s fourth straight championship and the 17th overall. The women earned their sixth overall.

Seven representatives of UNCW’s track and field team advanced to the NCAA East First Round after capturing multiple gold medals at the CAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The iconic Soaring Seahawk sculpture, a cherished emblem of the university’s spirit and pride, swooped to a new nest in August 2024. The sculpture, titled “Soaring to Greatness,” was relocated to historic Hoggard Hall’s lawn, offering it a larger space.

Originally installed in May 2009, the Seahawk has become a beloved backdrop for alumni and student photos, particularly during commencement. The relocation was necessary to accommodate roadway improvements on Wagoner Drive. Funded by the late Irwin “Ike” Belk, a UNCW donor and business executive from Charlotte, the sculpture was crafted by local metal sculptor Dumay Gorham III.

In spring 2024, UNCW launched three targeted digital marketing campaigns to boost brand awareness across North Carolina. These included social mirroring, a digital commercial on Spectrum streaming and ads on YouTube pre-roll and YouTube TV. The 15-second spot highlighted UNCW’s campus and encouraged prospective students to schedule guided tours.

The campaigns reached more than 2.5 million viewers in March, April and May of 2025, significantly increasing web traffic to UNCW’s main website. These efforts align with the university’s strategic plan to advance the university’s brand as North Carolina’s coastal university.

UNCW also placed print ads in NC Business, bringing attention to specialized program offerings in the Cameron School of Business and Our State, bringing attention to our coastal location and coastal engineering program.

In addition, UNCW is partnering with ILM airport to increase visibility among the rising number of yearly visitors to Wilmington. Placements include a “Greetings from UNCW” ad that greets every traveler leaving the airport. The large display is a crowd favorite. Travelers have been seen smiling for a photo with Sammy C. Hawk.