N.C. A&T Enrollment Explodes Over 15,000 in University’s Largest Growth Year Ever

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 10, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University enrollment crested over 15,000 this fall, driven by strong increases in student populations across the board, including North Carolina and out-of-state freshmen, transfer students and doctoral candidates, campus leaders announced today.

For the 12^th consecutive year, North Carolina A&T is the largest public historically Black college or university (HBCU) in the nation, as well as the largest such institution America has ever produced for the fourth consecutive year. The total enrollment of 15,275 – nearly 1,000 more students than last fall when enrollment was 14,311, making this the university’s biggest single year of growth – represents a jump of 6.7%.

Increasingly, North Carolina A&T’s exceptional academic programs and outstanding return on investment and outcomes along with an HBCU cultural experience second to none attract top students across the state and around the country. This fall’s entering first-year class of 3,021 students had an average GPA of 3.7; out-of-state freshmen entered with an average GPA of 3.93. Those new students come from 36 states plus Washington, D.C.

When they prepare for graduation in several years, they’ll benefit from some of the largest college career fairs in America and anticipate starting salaries that rank second in the University of North Carolina System. In fact, 10 years after graduation, an A&T bachelor’s degree earner commands a median salary of $112,000, according to Forbes.

“The 2025-26 student body reaffirms our commitment to the people of North Carolina, our national appeal and impact as an exponential, doctoral research HBCU and the promise that North Carolina A&T holds for students around the world,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “We embrace the opportunity to prepare them for a world undergoing seismic knowledge and technology shifts and to guide their development as individuals, ready for lives of achievement and meaning.”

The university’s census report includes good news in numerous areas, most notably:

• North Carolina students. A&T enrolled 849 more North Carolina students this year than last – a jump of 9.3%. Most of that growth came from the entering first-year class. The increase aligns with A&T’s mission as a land-grant university: to provide high-quality higher education to the people of North Carolina.
• The Graduate College. More than 2,000 graduate students are enrolled at A&T for the first time in school history. The official headcount of 2,018 is 11.2% larger than last fall. Doctoral student enrollment, now 702, is up by 23.4%. The university’s growth in new master’s and doctoral degree programs over the past five years is surfacing strong student interest and paying significant enrollment dividends.
• Transfer students. Enrollment of transfer students rose by a welcome 17% this fall with 814 new students. Attracting transfer students has become an enrollment priority for A&T, particularly as admission for first-year students has become highly competitive. Community college represents a strong path toward eventual university enrollment for students with strong interest in A&T.
• Retention. The portion of students who progressed from freshman to sophomore year hit 81% this fall, representing the first time A&T has exceeded 80%. This is another focus area for A&T, which plans to continue pushing that number higher.
• International enrollment. Unlike many other universities across the country, A&T experienced growth in its international student population – a jump of 10.3%. A&T now has nearly 1,000 international students, including nearly 500 from African nations.
• Geographic diversity. This year’s student body includes students from 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 43 states and 103 foreign nations.

“As interest in A&T continues to grow, our team of enrollment professionals remains dedicated to finding the best and brightest students from North Carolina and beyond for the class of 2030,” said Joseph Montgomery, associate vice provost for Enrollment Management. “We will continue to review all applicants carefully, intentionally, and through a comprehensive, holistic process that aims to identify students who will excel at A&T and become future leaders.”

“This is our 12^th consecutive year of growth, and we continue to be humbled and grateful for the faith that our students place in us to prepare them for lives of meaning and success,” said Martin. “North Carolina A&T is setting a national standard as a land-grant HBCU and model for what it means to be a public university in this new millennium.”

About North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 “Most Innovative” universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. An exponential university, A&T is recognized widely for its national leadership in graduating African American students in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 as only the second land-grant college created under the second Morrill Act and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

N.C. A&T, GCS Launch Transformative Healthcare Leadership Course with BHLI

By Devon Smith, Academic Affairs communications director

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 8, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has partnered with the Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute (BHLI) and Guilford County Schools to launch a groundbreaking course designed to educate and inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders.

The course, “Health Systems Management Introduction to Health Professions,” introduces students to a wide range of healthcare careers, with a special emphasis on leadership, equity and innovation. It incorporates BHLI’s signature “Be the Change” model, developed by BHLI Founder and President John W. Bluford, a nationally recognized healthcare executive and change agent.

Students gathered for the inaugural speaker series Thursday, Sept. 4, when they were joined by Bluford and his team. During his visit, Bluford shared personal stories of leadership, resilience and vision drawn from his decades-long career transforming public hospitals across the country.

“You don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse to make a major impact and have a healthcare-related career,” said Bluford. “I was lucky enough to get an opportunity. But opportunity can come and hit you in the face — the key is to be prepared to take advantage of it. Maximize your return on luck.”

Bluford’s message resonated deeply with the class, which includes 21 high school students from Guilford County Schools’ STEM Early College and A&T Four Middle College, both located on N.C. A&T’s campus. The remaining students are undergraduates in the health services management program, which is housed in the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences.

Throughout the semester, students will engage with prominent healthcare leaders, like chief legal officers, global public health experts and other executives of major healthcare systems. These interactions are designed to expose students to the breadth of opportunities in healthcare management and to cultivate leadership skills early in their academic journeys.

In a powerful gesture of support, each high school student received a free laptop, provided through a collaboration between BHLI and Best Buy. The laptops will be used throughout the course and are theirs to keep upon completion.

“Today’s event highlights the importance of engaging and inspiring students early in their career pathways to explore the amazing variety of opportunities in healthcare,” said Catherine White, Ph.D., associate professor of biology and pre-professional scholars program director. “It was incredibly encouraging for our team to see students connect so genuinely with Mr. Bluford and his remarkable story. We are excited to build more partnerships that offer this kind of meaningful exposure to our high school and college students.”

This initiative reflects N.C. A&T’s ongoing commitment to community engagement, educational equity, and workforce development in the healthcare sector. By connecting high school and college students with real-world leaders and resources, the university is helping shape a more inclusive and visionary future for healthcare.

About North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 “Most Innovative” universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. An exponential university, A&T is recognized widely for its national leadership in graduating African American students in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 as only the second land-grant college created under the second Morrill Act and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Agriculture Business Innovation Center at N.C. A&T to Kick Off with Two-Day Event

By Kenwyn Caranna, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
Photo NCA&T

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2025) – Agricultural and food industry entrepreneurs, take note: A new center focused on your specific needs is launching at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

The Agriculture Business Innovation Center (ABIC) at N.C. A&T aims to help agriculture-related businesses succeed while encouraging innovation and facilitating workforce development training.

ABIC kicks off with a free event Tuesday, Sept. 16, and Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the University Farm Pavilion. It’s an opportunity for agricultural leaders, entrepreneurs and community partners to collaborate, network and weigh in on what resources they need to thrive.

Photo cutline: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Professor Kathleen Liang, Ph.D., whose specialty is agricultural economics, works with farmer Connie Locklear on ways to plant to increase yield. Farmers should also see themselves as agricultural entrepreneurs, Liang said.

The center will serve as a hub, offering assistance to agriculture-based businesses nationwide, with a primary focus on small-scale farming and related enterprises. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $1.92 million to A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences to establish the center in partnership with Kentucky State University, Alabama A&M University and West Virginia State University.

North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness sector contributes about $111 billion in economic impact annually, making it the state’s leading industry, according to the NC Chamber. Nationally, agriculture, food and related industries contributed $1. 5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

About 100 people are expected to attend the September conference, which will feature a panel discussion, entrepreneur success stories, exhibits and farm tours.

The event will “raise awareness and identify collaborative efforts to support business owners or new entrepreneurs who have limited access to technical assistance,” said Kathleen Liang, Ph.D., Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at A&T.

Liang and Michelle Eley, Ph.D., community and economic development specialist with Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T, are assisting Kenrett Jefferson-Moore, Ph.D., who is leading the project. Jefferson-Moore is chair of A&T’s Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education.

“A lot of times farmers only see themselves as a business owner, they don't see themselves as farm entrepreneurs,” Liang said. “I want to see our center to break that mindset and inject a new concept of farming, agriculture and the food industry that includes technology, information, data, science — any innovative opportunity to drive our industry to success with competitive income and benefits that will attract young people to come back to us.”

The center will provide both virtual and in-person technical assistance in areas such as food and agricultural production, business planning, market development, funding opportunities and workforce development.

“We have collaborators across the 1890 land-grant institutions,” Jefferson-Moore said, and the center anticipates working with additional universities nationwide.

“We’re trying to make sure that there is a point of contact,” she said, “to make sure they get the resources that they need wherever they are.”

Students also have a vital role at the center, which includes the virtual Entrepreneurship Academy, said Alex Meredith, Ph.D., ABIC managing director. The academy helps students learn about and prepare for working in agriculture entrepreneurship.

Some students already are running food-related businesses, Meredith said, and ABIC can help them, too, with things like obtaining food safety certification or connecting them to a commercial kitchen.

Meredith sees ABIC as a means to help not only the individuals directly served, but also the generations that follow.

“If I’m able to help small farmers effectively sustain their businesses, then that means that their children are sustained financially. They don’t have to find last-minute dollars to put a child through college,” he said.

To register for the conference, go to https://ncat.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YcUPsN4oy9nUBo.

Registration for a conference room rate at the Marriott Greensboro Downtown is available at  https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1753205910306&key=GRP&app=resvlink.

About North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 “Most Innovative” universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. An exponential university, A&T is recognized widely for its national leadership in graduating African American students in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 as only the second land-grant college created under the second Morrill Act and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.

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