By Quiana Shepard
An estimated 1,296 first-year students have joined North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) Class of 2026, with an additional 393 transfer students registered for fall classes for the 2022-2023 academic year.
More than 600 students have entered into NCCU’s graduate and professional schools, with the university’s School of Law welcoming approximately 163 students to its day and evening programs.
“The North Carolina Central University community is excited to welcome the class of 2026 to experience ‘The Eagle Promise.’ These Eagles now join a bold legacy of leaders who transform communities,” said NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D. “We are steadfastly committed to empowering the future success of our newest scholars by providing the necessary tools to ensure they graduate on time, engage in local and global opportunities, develop valuable leadership skills and ultimately secure employment in their field of choice or proceed to graduate or professional school.”
The top five counties that many new Eagles call home, include Wake, Durham, Mecklenberg, Guilford and Cumberland counties, with 552 scholars graduating from those regional schools.
NCCU continues to cultivate diversity within the student body, with 268 incoming students identifying their race or ethnicity as other than African American, including Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, and more than two races, to name a few.
The School of Business, College of Health and Sciences, and College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities have the largest representation among academic programs chosen by incoming students, with business administration, nursing, criminal justice and psychology among top anticipated majors.
This year’s class boasts a healthy academic profile, with an average GPA of 3.2 and average SAT and ACT scores of 923 and 17, respectively.
Among incoming freshmen are 13 Cheatham-White Scholars. These students were chosen for the new full-ride scholarships created by the N.C. General Assembly for incoming Class of 2025 freshmen at NCCU and N.C. A&T State University, the state’s two largest historically black colleges.
Applicants for the Cheatham-White Scholarships were required to hold a high-school weighted grade point average of at least 4.0, along with an SAT score of at least 1280 or ACT score of 28 or higher. High schools nominated students for the scholarship based on a variety of factors, including leadership experience, character and community service.
The Cheatham-White Scholarships cover full tuition, room and board, student fees, books, a laptop computer, supplies and personal expenses, plus four summer experiences that may include international studies.
The 2022-2023 awardees are Naresh Mithran Bharathy of New Hill, N.C.; Victoria Diggins, of Baltimore, M.D.; Sterling Elliott, of Raleigh, N.C.; Nicholas Green of Greensboro, N.C.; Zaria Elizabeth Hanchell of Winston-Salem, N.C.; Rhyan Hurns of Southfield, Mich.; Delaney Jarmon of Greensboro, N.C.; Jaden Mack of Houston, Texas; Emmie Modlin of Pinehurst, N.C.; and Solomon Amir Mubashir of Youngsville, N.C.; Sanai Price of Charlotte, N.C.; Neiman Sneed of Augusta, Ga.; and KJ Chadwick of Winterville, N.C.
As part of the university’s tradition on welcoming new scholars, all incoming students are invited to participate in Eagle Mania, a series of events organized by NCCU’s divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. Through a mixture of academic and social programs, Eagle Mania helps students becoming more familiar with NCCU and the City of Durham. New student induction and pinning ceremonies will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, in McDougald-McLendon Arena. Alumni and members of the NCCU community will present new students with their class pins as a reminder of the university’s heritage and the rich legacy they join.
