Founded as a teacher training school in 1907, East Carolina University was created to alleviate a teacher shortage in eastern North Carolina. Since then it has evolved into a national research university with an enrollment of over 23,000, and its College of Education has continued to provide the nation with some of its best educators.

East Carolina University has also grown to encompass 10 different schools, including the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, the Brody school of medicine, the College of Technology and Computer Science, and the College of business. Thanks to these various schools - and the university's status as a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina - East Carolina University is able to offer more than 100 bachelor's degree programs, 71 master's degree programs, 16 doctoral programs, four specialist degree programs, and a first-professional MD program.

East Carolina University also offers distance education courses and, in fact, leads the University of North Carolina system in enrollment in distance learning.