Dr. Eddie G. Grigg, President | Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary
Dr. Eddie G. Grigg, President | Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary
Of the 16 institutions in the county, seven provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte, Carolinas College of Health Sciences and Chamberlain University-North Carolina.
At least 38,049 people applied to Mecklenburg County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 54,430 students enrolled in the universities, including 47,674 in undergraduate and 6,756 in graduate programs. In total 6.5% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (45.8%) and Black or African American (22.9%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of North Carolina at Charlotte stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 29,551 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for three institutions in Mecklenburg County, including Strayer University-South Charlotte, ECPI University-Charlotte and Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson C Smith University | 2,306 | 577 | 1,093 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 21,355 | 17,084 | 29,551 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 4,730 | 3,453 | 1,140 |
| Charlotte Christian College and Theological Seminary | -- | -- | 113 |
| Chamberlain University-North Carolina | 8 | 4 | 268 |
| Empire Beauty School-Charlotte | -- | -- | 96 |
| ECPI University-Charlotte | -- | -- | -- |
| Queens University of Charlotte | 3,154 | 2,239 | 1,873 |
| Davidson College | 6,479 | 1,101 | 1,927 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | -- | -- | 17,694 |
| Union Presbyterian Seminary-Charlotte | -- | -- | -- |
| Strayer University-South Charlotte | -- | -- | -- |
| Empire Beauty School-Pineville | -- | -- | 73 |
| Carolinas College of Health Sciences | 17 | 12 | 409 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Charlotte | -- | -- | 169 |
| No Grease Barber School | -- | -- | 24 |
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