Approximately 1,130 first-year students joined the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Class of 2025, with an additional 470 transfer students registered for fall classes for the 2021-2022 academic year.
NCCU’s graduate and professional programs experienced a 5.9% increase in enrollment compared to the 2020-2021 academic year, with approximately 556 new graduate students in more than 30 disciplines, including the sciences, arts, business, library and information sciences, education and a Ph.D. in integrated biosciences. NCCU’s School of Law welcomed approximately 180 students to its day and evening programs, an overall 26.8% increase compared to the previous year.
“I am thrilled to welcome these impressive new students who were chosen to be a part of North Carolina Central University’s Class of 2025 and know that they are ready to make their marks as Eagles,” said NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D. “We’re all incredibly happy to be safely back on campus. I look forward to having a great year, even as we continue to navigate the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Students from Mecklenburg, Durham and Wake counties significantly contributed to the 2025 class profile, with 545 students graduating from those regional schools.
NCCU continues to cultivate diversity within the student body, with 604 incoming students identifying their race or ethnicity as other than African American, including Hispanic, Caucasian, more than two races, and Asian, to name a few.
The College of Health and Sciences and also the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities have the largest representation among academic programs chosen by incoming students, with nursing, criminal justice and psychology among top anticipated majors.
This year’s class boasts a high academic profile, with an average GPA of 3.3.
Among incoming freshmen are 10 Cheatham-White Scholars. These students were chosen for the new full-ride scholarships created by the N.C. General Assembly for incoming Class of 2025 freshmen at NCCU and N.C. A&T State University, the state’s two largest historically black colleges.
Applicants for the Cheatham-White Scholarships were required to hold a high-school weighted grade point average of at least 4.0, along with an SAT score of at least 1280 or ACT score of 28 or higher. High schools nominated students for the scholarship based on a variety of factors, including leadership experience, character and community service.
The Cheatham-White Scholarships cover full tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, supplies and personal expenses, plus four summer experiences that may include international studies.
The 2021-2022 awardees are Monique Armelle Zulueta Dacanay of Raleigh, N.C.; Taya Davis, of Alpharetta, Ga.; Ezeji Nwanaji-Enwerem of Concord, N.C.; Morgan Parham of Raleigh, N.C.; Auston Terrell Parker of Cary N.C.; Sameen Qadri of Durham, N.C.; Haylei Reynolds of Charlotte, N.C.; Taylor Rooks of High Point, N.C.;Treylan Savage of High Point, N.C.; and Fredrick Sessoms of Durham, N.C.
