The University of North Carolina Wilmington, about 10 minutes from the ocean, is a beautiful campus of about 18,000 students, almost 15,000 of whom are undergraduates. They do not admit by major, but Business is the most popular degree. The Transatlantic Business School Alliance is a really interesting dual-degree program: students spend 2 intensive years at UNC Wilmington studying international business as well as a foreign language, and then 2 years at a partner institution in Europe continuing their studies in international business and applying the language they were studying. Also, the business school classes shut down for one week each year for Business Week, when the building turns into a convention center with alumni and local and national business leaders there for mentoring, teaching and networking.

The second most popular major, and probably the one for whom UNCW is most well known, is Marine Biology. The program is top-notch and very challenging, with amazing facilities and plenty of biology, chemistry, math and physics.

Another exciting program here is Cybersecurity. UNC Wilmington is one of 4 universities that work with the FBI's missing persons division. There isn't enough room here to talk about all the programs. But I will add that the nursing is not direct-admit, and only about 60% of students are admitted into the program each semester, but the NCLEX exam pass rate is 100%. Minors are offered in service dog training as well as yoga, wherein one can receive certification to teach.

Some other tidbits: They're in the process of doubling the size of the library, adding a third floor. There's no football here but there is huge fan support for basketball. And Wilmington is a big film town - Dawson's Creek was filmed here as was The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Outer Banks. Ten minutes from the beach and ten minutes from a very charming waterfront town, UNCW is a beautiful campus in a beautiful location with a lot to offer. I'm told everyone here loves the outdoors and is very fit, so if you plan to attend, pack your fitness gear!