UNC Research Facts and Rankings
Research at UNC has doubled over the past 12 years, firmly establishing Carolina as one of America’s top-ranked research universities.
13th top-ranked
university in the United States for federal research, totaling $950 million annually
$1.6 billion
UNC conducts more than one billion dollars of sponsored research from all sources annually, making it the 11th largest U.S. research university in research volume and annual expenditures
Exceptionalism
More than 150 faculty at UNC are members of the National Academies & prestigious learned societies
// UNC Research, 2025
2 Nobel Laureates
// Royal Swedish Academy of Science
21st most cited university in the world
// CSIC Webmetrics, 2023
1st nationally for R&D received as a sub-recipient for other institutions, UNC-CH is a trusted partner for research // HERD Survey, 2023
State Impact
2,187 UNC Research projects directly addressing the health, education, or well-being of N.C. citizens
// UNC RAMSeS, 2024
$8 For each dollar of state funding, research centers & institutes attract $7.96 from external sources.
// UNC RAMSeS, 2024
Economic Impact
Contributes $2.9 billion in value added to state GDP, strengthening the state’s overall economic output // Innovate Carolina, 2026
Bolsters 3,250+ businesses in 83 N.C. counties through $124M in annual purchases // UNC Research, 2024
Generates $5.5 billion in total economic activity across industries and communities statewide // Innovate Carolina, 2026
Supports 24,087 jobs, driving employment and workforce growth // Innovate Carolina, 2026
Produces $169.2 million in state and local tax revenue, helping fund public services and infrastructure // Innovate Carolina, 2026
Attracts $378 million in annual external funding and top faculty through 30+ research centers and institutes // UNC RAMSeS, 2025
Fostered 350+ N.C. businesses spun out of UNC-Chapel Hill research, creating 8,500+ jobs // UNC Research, 2025
Research Collaboration
// UNC RAMSeS, 2024
62% in multi-investigator projects
50% in multi-department projects
33% in multi-school projects
Federal Investment
10th in the U.S. for federally funded health sciences research
// HERD Survey, 2024
The National Institutes of Health is UNC’s largest federal funder, awarding more than $514 million in 2025
// UNC RAMSeS, 2025
2nd in the nation for federally funded social and behavioral science research and development
// COSSA, 2025
4th among the nation’s Schools of Public Health for NIH funding
// BRIMR, 2024
9th for federal computer and information science funding // HERD Survey, 2024
8th for HHS funding, including NIH // HERD Survey, 2024
6th for federal chemistry funding // HERD Survey, 2024
Industry Partnerships
20th in the U.S. for privately sponsored clinical trials
// HERD Survey, 2023
$55 million in annual clinical trials research
// HERD Survey, 2023
$67 million in annual R&D from private industry sponsors
// UNC RAMSeS, 2025
Commercialization
4,776 inventions have been disclosed at UNC-CH
// UNC OCED, 2025
1,426 U.S. patents have been awarded to Carolina
// UNC OCED, 2025
$123 million in income for the University from Carolina-created technology supports new technology development and startup incubation
// UNC OCED, 2025
Postdoctoral Research
Nearly 1,000 postdoctoral fellows
// UNC Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, 2025
22nd in the nation for the total number of postdoctoral fellows
// Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, 2023
National Rankings and Research Expenditures by Field
// HERD Survey, 2024
14th chemistry research, $30M
7th health sciences research, $939M
11th biomedical engineering research, $39M jointly with NSCU
1st sociology, demography & population studies research, $67M
1st psychology research, $54M
3rd social work research, $25M
6th social sciences research, $93M