U. North Carolina Wilmington Gender Studies Program Sees Enrollment Decline

U. North Carolina Wilmington Gender Studies Program Sees Enrollment Decline

Maybe students are finally figuring out that a degree in this area doesn’t lead to gainful employment outside of academia.

Campus Reform reports:

EXCLUSIVE: North Carolina university gender studies minor sees enrollment decline

Of the nearly 20,000 students enrolled at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), 42 were enrolled in the Women’s and Gender Studies minor during the 2025–2026 academic year, a Campus Reform public records request has revealed.

The number represents a 16 percent enrollment decline. 50 students were enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year.

In addition to the Women’s and Gender Studies minor, the Gender Studies & Research Center offers a Women’s and Gender Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program.

Records obtained by Campus Reform show the Women’s and Gender Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate has had no enrolled students during the past two academic years.

UNCW reports having 19,895 total enrolled students in fall 2025. The 42 students enrolled in the gender studies minor comprise 0.21 percent of the student body.

Campus Reform asked UNCW if the programs are sustainable at their current enrollment levels.

Media Relations and Communications Specialist Sydney Bouchelle said that “Many university minors are created from existing courses in other majors; they do not require new resources. Thus, relatively small minors can be sustainable at little to no incremental cost as in the case of the Women’s and Gender Studies minor. The post-baccalaureate certificate is paused for review.”

As Campus Reform reported in June, the university eliminated a gender studies director position, citing “institutional needs, strategic priorities and operational effectiveness.” The position carried a $106,283 annual salary.

The move was panned by gender studies advocates as part of a trend of universities targeting gender studies and diversity-related programs.

“I was shocked that there was an abrupt decision with no true transparency, but also unsurprised because programs that support women and trans people have long been under attack and right now they’re a really easy target,” Dana Stachowiak, who held the position, said at the time.

An anonymous internal source told Port City Daily that they thought the decision “looked like kowtowing to Republican state pressures.”

Another was “shocked” that the university would eliminate a position for a “‘long-term, committed, accomplished’ trans colleague.”

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