UNC Greensboro students are among the quickest in North Carolina to rebound from the learning loss of a post-pandemic world, and they’re doing all that while spending less!

The University of North Carolina System’s reports show that UNCG’s first-year, full-time college students have the highest performance score of all system schools – an impressive 88.5 percent.

This incredible score is based on four-year graduation rates, credits earned, degree efficiency, cumulative student debt at graduation, University expenses per degree granted, and external funding.

“The UNC System report is a reflection of UNCG’s steadfast commitment to access and excellence,” says Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “We are proud of our efforts and appreciate the recognition that our strategic investments bring valuable returns for our students and our state.”

Students Succeed by Leaps and Bounds 

Dr. Andrew Hamilton, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, hails UNCG’s commitment to reversing pandemic effects, particularly when it comes to failing grades and withdrawals. The latest numbers show a heartening pattern of success. Since Fall 2021, the proportion of final grades that were Fs has been cut nearly in half! 

Furthermore, completed credit hours of first-time students rose from 82.2 percent in 2021 to 90.2 percent, a whopping eight percent!

Student confidence is on the rise, as more of them remain in school. First-year retention climbed from 72.9 percent in 2021 to 81.2 percent in 2024. This correlates to the drop in DFW grades (D and F grades or withdrawals) in first fall semesters, from nearing a quarter in 2021 down to 14.1 percent in 2024.

Since the pandemic disrupted traditional learning models and put students on their heels nationwide, Dean Hamilton credits UNCG’s quick rollout of changes: 

• A summer “reboot” that facilitated the redesign of gateway courses taken by many first-year students, with a focus on engaging students early in the term 
• New pedagogy training for more than 125 instructors, especially those who teach courses with high enrollments of first-year students 
• Changes in academic policy, including requiring midterm grades and intervening when students are at risk of failing or having to withdrawal 
• Additional investment in mentorships, tutoring, learning assistants, and other academic support outside of the classroom
• Near instant access to performance data for departments and colleges/schools 
• Strategic use of University and donor “rescue” funds to keep more high-need students enrolled and making degree progress

It was thanks to quick actions like these that UNCG was able to meet students where they were and get them to where they wanted to be pre-pandemic. 

More Bang for Your Buck 

But students’ success stories don’t end with graduation and degrees. UNCG students are also winning when it comes to their educational investment.

First-time student debt at graduation ($13,223) has dropped nearly to 2011 levels ($12,737), while transfer student debt dropped even lower to $10,196 in 2024 compared to $12,416 in 2011!

Among all of the schools in the UNC system, students are finding greater success and graduating with less debt at UNCG. These results can be attributed to the tenacity of our students and the dedication of faculty, staff, and administrators who stomp down barriers that keep students from finishing their coursework and obtaining their degrees. 

When all is said and done, there is no better proof of success than the smiles of students as they wave to their cheering families and professors from the commencement stage each May and December. 

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications 
Photography by Sean Norona and David Lee Row, University Communications