The School of Nursing at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is nationally recognized as one of the premier nursing schools in the country. The School offers a full complement of nursing education programs and enrolls approximately 600 undergraduate, RN-to-BSN, master's, post-master's and doctoral students each year. The School employs roughly 120 faculty members and utilizes more than 130 adjunct faculty members for its programs.

The School was established in 1950 in response to the overwhelming need for nurses in North Carolina. It was the first in the state to: offer a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree (1950), master's degree in nursing (1955), initiate continuing education for nurses (1964), offer a Ph.D. in nursing (1989) and the first to offer an accelerated BSN option for second-degree students (2001). The School long has provided off-campus nursing degree programs throughout the state.

In 2004, the School of Nursing was ranked 4th among 96 universities in annual research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Four of the School's graduate programs are ranked in the top 10 according to US News & World Report. And, in 2004, the School boasted an impressive 97% pass rate on the NCLEX.

The School has a three-fold mission: to educate students; conduct research to improve patient care and expand scientific knowledge; and provide professional enhancement through clinical practice and service to the community. The School contributes to the lifelong learning of nurses through a renowned continuing education program and by providing faculty to work with statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). The value of direct care provided by faculty and students to state citizens exceeds $1 million annually. The School maintains clinical partnerships with some of the best healthcare organizations and agencies in North Carolina and the nation.