Chapel Hill, NC · Clery Act 2023 · Public

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 32,234-student campus.

4.37
Incidents / 1k students
#2,511
Rank of 3,050
#83
NC rank
32,234
Enrolled students

Data updated June 2026

The verdict

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports 4.37 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,511 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 84% of ranked campuses its size.

4.37
incidents / 1,000 students
#2,511
of 3,050 ranked nationally
84%
report fewer incidents than this campus
119
on-campus incidents, 2023

Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).

Reporting-period change

What changed in 2023

+3 reported incidents

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill increased from 116 to 119 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.

This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.

See national reporting-year changes

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a Public institution located in Chapel Hill, NC, enrolling approximately 32,234 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 297 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within NC, it ranks #83 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →

With 32,234 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.

The most frequently reported category at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is "Motor Vehicle Theft" with 105 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in NC averaging 2.74 incidents per 1,000 students, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports 60% more incidents per student.

Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 4 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 27 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.

Safety Score

4.37 /1K students

incidents per 1,000 enrolled

National Rank

#2511

See peer comparison

State Rank (NC)

#83

within state peers

Incidents (2023)

119

across 11 crime categories

Where University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sits among ranked U.S. campuses

On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students

4 safer than 16% of 1,807 ranked campuses

0–1: 874 ranked campuses (48%). Below this entry. 1–2: 281 ranked campuses (16%). Below this entry. 2–3: 186 ranked campuses (10%). Below this entry. 3–4: 135 ranked campuses (7%). Below this entry. 4–5: 84 ranked campuses (5%). This entry sits in this band. 5–6: 71 ranked campuses (4%). Above this entry. 6–7: 36 ranked campuses (2%). Above this entry. 7–8: 37 ranked campuses (2%). Above this entry. 8–9: 103 ranked campuses (6%). Above this entry. This campus 0 9 every ranked campus, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023

Safety percentile vs. peers

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill percentile rank 17.7%
National median

Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2511 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.

Reporting density vs peer median

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports 60% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.

Academic & Financial Profile

Tuition & Costs

In-State Tuition
$8,994
Out-of-State Tuition
$41,203
Avg Net Price
$11,655
Median Debt
$14,000
Pell Grant Recipients
20%
How does this cost rank in NC? →

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
15%
SAT Average
1439
SAT Math Range
700–780
ACT Average
25
ACT Range
28–34

Outcomes

4-Year Graduation Rate
92%
Retention Rate
97%
Median Earnings (6yr)
$57,057
Median Earnings (10yr)
$72,200
Loan Repayment (3yr)
85%

Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.

Enrollment scale

How campus size shapes the safety figures

With 32,234 enrolled students, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is in the largest 2% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.

Crime Statistics by Year

11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus only

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: on-campus incidents by year

Rising 92% (62 → 119 incidents)

406080100120140 202120222023 62 119 ▲ +91.9%
Crime Type 202320222021
Aggravated Assault 7168
Arson 102
Burglary 193214
Fondling 3208
Incest 000
Motor Vehicle Theft 692511
Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter 100
Negligent Manslaughter 000
Rape 172219
Robbery 210
Statutory Rape 000

Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents

Fire Safety

Year Fires Inj. Deaths Cat I Cat II
2023 4 0 0 0 0

Arrests & Disciplinary Actions

27 category-year records
Disposition26%47%27%ArrestsDisciplinary referralsNo action
27 reported records
Category Year Arrests Discipline
Drugs 2023 0 0
Drugs 2023 0 0
Drugs 2023 0 17
Liquor 2023 0 0
Liquor 2023 0 0
Liquor 2023 0 180
Weapons 2023 0 0
Weapons 2023 0 0
Weapons 2023 3 0
Drugs 2022 0 0
Drugs 2022 0 0
Drugs 2022 3 16
Liquor 2022 0 0
Liquor 2022 0 0
Liquor 2022 4 151
Weapons 2022 0 0
Weapons 2022 0 0
Weapons 2022 6 1
Drugs 2021 0 0
Drugs 2021 0 0

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill vs peer institutions

Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment

Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).

Selected

NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

4.37 incidents / 1,000 students
National rank
#2,511
Enrollment
32,234
Data year
2023

AR

University of Arkansas

2.21 incidents / 1,000 students
National rank
#2,071
Enrollment
32,140
Data year
2023

Similar Institutions

University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · 32,140 enrolled
Safety Score 2.21
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX · 31,931 enrolled
Safety Score 0.91
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY · 31,889 enrolled
Safety Score 2.16
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · 31,810 enrolled
Safety Score 1.79
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY · 32,703 enrolled
Safety Score 6.60

Closest by National Rank

Institutions ranked nearest University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill nationally (rank #2511), regardless of size or state.

University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
National Rank #2510
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, NC
National Rank #2512
Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH
National Rank #2509
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA
National Rank #2513
Roberts Wesleyan University
Rochester, NY
National Rank #2508

Frequently Asked Questions

Is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill safe?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a safety score of 4.37 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,511 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in NC.
Does University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have fire safety data?
Yes. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 4 fires were reported in the most recent year.

Understanding University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Safety Profile

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC enrolls 32,234 students and has a safety score of 4.37 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2511 nationally.

Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 116 in 2022 to 119 in 2023.

Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 4 fires were reported in the most recent year.

What this means for you

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's 4.37 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.

Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.

Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.