The university has experienced rapid enrollment growth of 33% over the past 10 years, making it the fastest-growing institution in the UNC System and contributing to more than 50% of the system's growth since 2009.[8] It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".[9] In 2020, it surpassed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to become the second-largest school in the UNC system by student enrollment.