Growth Beyond the Classroom—A Decade of Staffing and Spending in the UNC System

Growth Beyond the Classroom—A Decade of Staffing and Spending in the UNC System analyzes staffing and salary expenditure trends across the University of North Carolina (UNC) System from 2015-16 through 2024-25. Drawing on official system-wide data, the report reveals a pattern of administrative and support staff growth that outpaces both student enrollment and faculty hiring, with significant implications for institutional priorities and cost-effectiveness.

Key Findings:

• Disproportionate Growth in Non-Faculty Staffing: While enrollment rose 10.2% and faculty headcount rose 9.5%, non-faculty staffing grew by 14.6%, increasing the staff-to-faculty ratio from 2.18 to 2.28 systemwide.
• Largest Staffing Increases by Function: Fiscal Affairs positions grew by 53.8%, followed by Academic & Student Affairs and IT. In contrast, Executive Administration and Office/Clerical staffing remained flat or declined.
• Escalating Salary Expenditures: Faculty salary spending rose by 44.78%, while non-faculty salary expenditures jumped 55.53%—both surpassing the 32.72% inflation rate over the same period. The fastest-growing salary categories were Research (86.5%), Communications & Fundraising (81.1%), and Fiscal Affairs (90.9%).
• Institution-Level Variability: Changes in staffing and expenditures varied significantly among the 16 UNC institutions.

Policy Implications:

The data suggest that much of the UNC System’s growth has occurred outside the classroom, in administrative and support functions. While investments in areas like fiscal management, research, and IT may reflect modern institutional demands, the trend raises questions about whether this growth supports the universities’ core instructional missions. Policymakers and trustees should carefully evaluate the return on investment in non-instructional roles and consider whether administrative expansion is justified by educational outcomes.

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Growth Beyond the Classroom