The University of North Carolina at Pembroke landed in the No. 33 spot among regional universities in the South in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
The ranking is an improvement from last year, when UNC Pembroke was No. 41.
U.S. News & World Report, which publishes college rankings each year, released its 2026 report last month. UNC Pembroke tied for 33rd with Coastal Carolina University and Converse University in South Carolina and Mississippi University for Women.
This year, the school also ranked No. 15 for best public universities in the South, tying with the same three schools.
Here’s how UNC Pembroke fared in other categories:
- No. 11 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
- No. 16 in Best Colleges for Veterans
- No. 29 in Best Value Schools, Business Programs, and Computer Science
- No. 249 in Nursing and Psychology Programs
Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings said in a press release that he was grateful to the school’s faculty and staff.
“Their commitment ensures that our students have the guidance, resources and support to graduate on time and prepared for what comes next,” he said.
UNC Pembroke welcomed its largest freshman class in six years this fall, with 909 students, according to Jennifer McCarrel, a spokesperson for the school. The total enrollment is 8,089 students, including undergraduate and graduate students.
Here are some other enrollment trends, according to McCarrel:
- A record-high 2,427 students are enrolled in UNC Pembroke’s William Howard Dean Graduate School, an 8% increase from last year.
- A record 934 students transferred to the university this fall, a 16% jump from last year. Twenty percent of them are military-affiliated students,
- The university has also seen an increase in international students — 261 this fall, an 18% increase from last year.
- Enrollment in the Esther G. Maynor Honors College jumped 44% this fall.
- Enrollment in the master’s in business administration program at the Thomas College of Business and Economics saw a 3% jump in enrollment this fall, with 854 students enrolled.
- The top five majors are biology, business administration, nursing, computer science and cybersecurity, and exercise and sports science.
UNC Pembroke has added three degree programs in the past two years. The first class of students in the master of healthcare administration program began this fall, along with the second cohort in the master of science in occupational therapy program. The first class of students earning a doctor of nursing practice degree — the first doctoral program offered by the school, will graduate in December.
UNC Pembroke will become the first public university in North Carolina with an optometry school when it welcomes its first students in 2027.
The university welcomed 52 students last year through NC College Connect, which allows high school seniors with a 2.8 grade point average or higher to automatically enroll in participating UNC System schools, according to Kelly Brennan, vice chancellor of enrollment.
“It allows students to easily be connected to colleges that match their interests and ensures that they start planning their college journey early for the best success,” Brennan said in a statement. “It gave UNCP more visibility among high school students outside the immediate 9-county service area.”
U.S. News Rankings
To compile its annual rankings, U.S. News & World Report looks at more than 1,700 schools and analyzes up to 17 factors like graduation and first-year retention rates, student outcomes, student-faculty ratios, student performance and post-graduate success in job placements, according to its website.
Schools are ranked into four categories: regional colleges and regional universities, national liberal arts colleges and the most high-profile ranking being the national universities list.
Duke University was the top-ranked school in North Carolina among national universities at No. 7. UNC-Chapel Hill was 26th, Wake Forest was 51st, and N.C. State was 64th.