University of North Carolina at Wilmington

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. UNCW enrolls over 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students each year as part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System.

History

UNCW opened its doors on September 4, 1947 as Wilmington College. At the time the school operated as a junior college, offering freshman-level courses to 238 students during the first school year, of which 75% were veterans returning from military service following World War II. Under the control of the New Hanover County Board of Education, Wilmington College earned accreditation from the North Carolina College Conference in 1948 and became a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges. Further accreditation came in 1952 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1958, Wilmington College was placed under the Community College Act of North Carolina, passing control from the New Hanover County Board of Education to a board of trustees as a state-supported college under the supervision of the North Carolina Board of Higher Education.