General Statute 130A-155.1.(a) requires persons attending a college or university, whether public, private or religious, to present a Certificate of Immunization or a record of immunization from a high school located in North Carolina. The registrar of the college or university is responsible for assuring the required immunizations have been received by all new (undergraduate and graduate) students enrolling in college each fall.
Get answers to frequently asked questions about NC college/university immunization requirements (PDF).
Exceptions to State Law
The statute applies to all students, except students residing off-campus and registering for any combination of:
- Off-campus courses
- Evening courses (classes beginning after 5 p.m.)
- Weekend courses
- No more than four-day credit hours in on-campus courses
If at any time the above student status changes to on-campus courses, course load of more than four (4) credit hours, on-campus residence, and/or enrollment in day-time courses, the student must present a Certificate of Immunization or record of immunization on or before their registration date for the quarter or semester.
Required Vaccines for College/University Entry
Vaccine | Number Doses Required Before School Entry* |
---|---|
Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis | 3 doses |
Polio | 3 doses |
Measles | 2 doses |
Mumps | 2 doses |
Rubella | 1 dose |
Hepatitis B (Hep B) | 3 doses |
Varicella | 1 dose |
Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) | 2 doses |
Immunizations
Three doses are required for individuals entering college or university. Individuals entering college or university for the first time on or after July 1, 2008, must have had three doses of tetanus/diphtheria toxoid; one of which must be tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis.
Three doses are required for individuals entering college or university. An individual attending school who has attained his or her 18th birthday is not required to receive a polio vaccine.
Two doses at least 28 days apart are required for individuals entering college or university. The requirement for a second dose does not apply to individuals who entered school, college or university for the first time before July 1, 1994. A person who has been diagnosed prior to January 1, 1994, by a physician (or designee such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) as having measles (rubeola) or an individual who has been documented by serological testing to have a protective antibody titer against measles is not required to receive measles vaccine. Individuals born before 1957 are not required to receive measles vaccine except in measles outbreak situations.
Two doses are required for individuals entering college or university. A physician's diagnosis is not acceptable for mumps disease(s). Individuals must be immunized or have laboratory confirmation of disease or have been documented by serological testing to have a protective antibody against mumps. Individuals born before 1957 are not required to receive the mumps vaccine. Individuals who entered college or university before July 1, 1994, are not required to receive the vaccine. Individuals who entered school, college, or university before July 1, 2008, are not required to receive the second dose of mumps vaccine.
One dose is required for individuals entering college or university. A physician's diagnosis is not acceptable for rubella disease(s). Individuals must be immunized or have laboratory confirmation of rubella disease or have been documented by serological testing to have a protective antibody titer against rubella. Any individual who has attained his or her fiftieth birthday is not required to receive a rubella vaccine except in outbreak situations. Any individual who entered college or university after his or her thirtieth birthday and before February 1, 1989, is not required to receive rubella vaccine except in outbreak situations.
Three doses are required for individuals entering college or university. Hepatitis B vaccine is not required if an individual was born before July 1, 1994.
One dose is required for individuals entering college or university who were born on or after April 1, 2001. An individual who has laboratory confirmation of varicella disease immunity or has been documented by serological testing to have a protective antibody titer against varicella, or who has documentation from a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant verifying history of varicella disease is not required to receive varicella vaccine. The documentation shall include the name of the individual with a history of varicella disease, the approximate date or age of infection, and a healthcare provider signature. Individuals born before April 1, 2001, are not required to receive varicella vaccine.
Two doses. One dose is required for individuals entering the seventh grade or by 12 years of age, whichever comes first, on or after July 1, 2015. A booster dose is required for individuals entering the 12th grade or by 17 years of age, whichever comes first. Individuals who entered seventh grade before July 1, 2015, are not required to receive the first dose. The booster dose does not apply to individuals who entered the 12th grade before August 1, 2020. If the first dose is administered on or after the 16th birthday, a booster dose is not required. Individuals born before January 1, 2003, shall not be required to receive a meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
Required vs. Recommended
North Carolina law requires individuals attending a college or university to receive certain vaccines. But to be fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, students should receive all age-appropriate immunizations.
For more information about vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations recommended, please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and Immunize.org.
This page was last modified on 03/04/2025