A&T Launches 135th Year with Record Enrollment, New Measures for Student Success

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Aug. 20, 2025) – More students than ever before will begin the 2025-26 school year today at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, bringing with them sterling records of academic achievement and a hunger for an experience that stands alone in U.S. higher education.

North Carolina A&T projects it will be the nation’s largest historically Black college or university (HBCU) for the 12^th consecutive year. Nearly 52,000 undergraduate and graduate students sought admission to the university this fall, and that competition for admission yields an incredibly accomplished student body.

A&T students will encounter new degree programs, upgrades and new amenities in campus housing and an expanded career fair that will provide greater internship and employment opportunities. Chancellor James R. Martin II predicts the fall semester will be an especially memorable one for students and employees as A&T continues to define itself as an exponential university.

“Higher education is in an incredibly dynamic change era, and we are at the forefront of that evolution at A&T,” said Martin, who marked his one-year anniversary as chancellor last Friday. “Returning and new students will encounter new degree programs in aeronautical engineering, physician assistant studies and artificial intelligence – the latter, the only one in North Carolina. They’ll live in A&T residence halls and apartments that have undergone $30 million in renovations and updates. And they’ll encounter an A&T career fair – one of the largest in America – that has been moved to First Horizon Coliseum to accommodate employer demand for our student interns and graduates.

“The ascent of A&T is stronger than ever, and the accelerating pace of change will be felt across our university and throughout our alumni community.”

While enrollment growth is forecast across the university, that growth is particularly noticeable in doctoral programs, online enrollment and transfer student populations. The Graduate College projects enrollment of more than 1,900 students – its largest student body ever.

Those students will learn from 81 new faculty members, 51 of them tenure-track faculty. They come from outstanding backgrounds with experience in Research 1 universities and HBCUs. They include five members of a “cluster hire” in artificial intelligence to power the university’s new degree program and add to A&T’s leadership in that rapidly evolving field.

New partnerships will be particularly notable this fall. The Aggie Bridge Initiative, a partnership with Toyota North Carolina, will bring Toyota’s world-class expertise in process management to A&T student services and other university operations.

The university’s recently announced partnership with Project Kitty Hawk will expand adult learner access to A&T online degree programs, with the first rolling out in January 2026.

A partnership with JetZero will see new employment paths take shape for A&T students with a company that expects to bring 15,000 new jobs to Greensboro.

A&T students will notice major construction projects coming to fruition. Bluford Residence Hall, a new four-story, 415-bed student residential complex, will be complete by Spring 2026. On East Market Street next to the main entrance to campus, construction on The Resurgent is in its final stages. The $32 million health services and professional offices complex will house multiple A&T offices and general and urgent care facilities for Cone Health, improving access to health care in East Greensboro.

And at the 500-acre University Farm, construction is near completion for the Urban and Community Food Complex, a comprehensive facility for researching, testing, processing and developing food products for the marketplace. It will play a significant role in East Greensboro’s ongoing economic revival.

Major public events will shine a spotlight on A&T throughout the year. On Sept. 3, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will speak at A&T. On Sept. 12, the A&T football team will play its sold-out home opener against Hampton University. The Greatest Homecoming on Earth, which drew more than 130,000 celebrants last fall, will be back, Oct. 4 -12.

The spring semester will be highlighted by two major events: the 135^th anniversary of A&T’s establishment March 9 and Martin’s formal installation as A&T chancellor.

In university housing, A&T rolled out major upgrades last week, from enhanced internet access to new roofing and HVAC systems to new and refurbished student lounges, with upgrades in amenities ranging from sparkling new showerheads and toilets to new video gaming systems, lounge areas and ice machines.

“A lot of work has gone into ensuring that 2025-26 will be a year of milestones and success at A&T,” said Martin. “We’re looking forward to watching it all unfold.”