How many UNC college students are vaccinated? Here are rates for most campuses.
With many North Carolina colleges and universities back fully in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started, vaccination is a critical component of universities’ plans to keep campuses open and students safe.
The state released a study last week that concluded unvaccinated people are more likely to catch COVID and to be hospitalized or die due to the virus, The News & Observer reported.
And spread of the virus has accelerated over the last month due to the delta variant, a mutation of the coronavirus that’s more than three times as contagious as the original strain.
UNC System universities do not require students to be vaccinated, but each campus is tracking how many students and employees are. Those who are not vaccinated or don’t provide proof of vaccination will be required to get tested for the virus at least once a week.
What are UNC campus vaccination rates?
Here’s where North Carolina universities stand in terms of vaccination rates on campus:
UNC-Chapel Hill reported that, as of Friday, 90% of their students 95% of faculty and 83% of staff report being vaccinated.
The university removed the employee vaccination rate from its website because there was an inconsistency in how the figures were counted. The university will update the rate once the issue is resolved, a university spokesperson told The News & Observer.
The school is in Orange County, where the adult vaccination rate is 90%.
At North Carolina State University, 68% of students, 85% of faculty and 67% of staff have shown proof of vaccination, as of Sept. 1.
NC State is in Wake County, where the rate for adults is 74%.
North Carolina Central University told The N&O Wednesday that 2,220 students and 735 employees are fully vaccinated.
NCCU did not provide percentages as final enrollment numbers for the fall semester have not yet been finalized. The university had about 8,000 students enrolled in fall 2020.
If enrollment numbers remained steady from last year, about 28% of students would be fully vaccinated based on those figures.
The adult rate for Durham County, where the NCCU campus is located, is 71%.
At UNC Charlotte, 71% of on-campus students and 78% of residential students are fully vaccinated. Among employees, 85% are fully vaccinated, as of Wednesday.
The campus is in Mecklenburg County, where the adult rate is 64%.
For UNC Greensboro residential students, 80% are fully vaccinated, as of Wednesday.
University officials said that the school is still gathering vaccination statuses from students living off campus, faculty and staff.
UNC Greensboro is in Guilford County. The adult rate there is 63%.
East Carolina University reported that 46% of on-campus students and 76% of employees are fully vaccinated, as of Aug. 27.
As of Monday, 59% of residential students at ECU are vaccinated.
For Pitt County, where ECU is located, the adult rate is 56%.
At Appalachian State University, 51% of students and 88% of faculty and staff are fully vaccinated, as of Monday.
App State is in Watauga County. It has an adult rate of 55%.
As of Wednesday, Western Carolina University vaccination rates are 50% for on- and off-campus students, 90% for full-time faculty, 80% for full-time staff, and 81% for all employees, including part-time and temporary workers.
The school is in Jackson County, where adult rate is 59%.
For UNC Asheville, 64% of all students, including 90% of residential students, are fully vaccinated. Among employees, the rate is 74%, as of Tuesday.
The school is located in Buncombe County. The adult rate there is 70%.
As of Tuesday, vaccination rates are UNC Wilmington are 71% for residential students, 53% for students living off-campus and 85% for faculty and staff.
The campus is in New Hanover County, where the adult rate is 65%.
UNC Pembroke is still collecting vaccination data, but among those that responded to their survey as of last week, 88% of students and employees are fully vaccinated.
The school is in Robeson County. The adult rate there is 38%.
At UNC School of the Arts, the vaccination rate is 88% for students and employees, as of Wednesday.
That campus is in Forsyth county, where the adult rate is 62%.
As of last week, 91% of students and 90% of employees at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics are fully vaccinated.
The campus, like NCCU, is in Durham County. The adult rate there is 71%.
A spokesperson for Elizabeth City State University said that the school is still collecting vaccine data. They expect to have results by Sept. 15.
The school is located in Pasquotank County, where the adult rate is 51%.
The other UNC System schools — Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T University and Winston-Salem State University — do not publicize vaccine rates online and did not respond to emails from The N&O, as of Thursday morning.
All of the universities that did respond strongly encouraged students and employees to get vaccinated.
Some private schools require COVID-19 vaccines
Duke University reported that 95% of students and 91% of employees are fully vaccinated. About 1% of students on campus are not vaccinated, university spokesman Mike Schoenfeld previously told The News & Observer.
The vast majority of students were vaccinated by Duke, at Duke, and others upload their vaccination information and cards.
At Wake Forest University, about 97% of students are fully vaccinated and those not vaccinated have received medical or religious exemptions.
At Elon University, 96% of students have been vaccinated and 4% have been approved for an exemption. Those with an exemption are required to wear face masks indoors and be tested for COVID-19 weekly.
Shaw University did not share its vaccination rate for students, but students who are not fully vaccinated are not permitted to access the campus. Students enrolled in face-to-face classes have until Sept. 8 to show proof of vaccination and report to campus. Students who fail to comply will be de-enrolled.
Saint Augustine’s University requires vaccines for students, but did not provide information about how many students are vaccinated.
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 11:48 AM with the headline "How many UNC college students are vaccinated? Here are rates for most campuses.."
