The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), commonly referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina. UNCW enrolls approximately 13,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students each year as part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System. The school is known for its film studies, creative writing and marine biology programs. U.S.News & World Report, Forbes, Fiske Guide to Colleges, Kiplinger's, Princeton Review, G.I. Jobs have all highly ranked UNCW. UNC Wilmington opened its doors on September 4, 1947 as Wilmington College. At the time the school operated as a junior college, offering freshman-level courses to nearly 250 students during the first school year, many of whom were veterans returning from military service following World War II. Under the control of the New Hanover County Board of Education, Wilmington College earned accreditation from the North Carolina College Conference in 1948 and became a member of the American Association of Junior Colleges. Further accreditation came in 1952 from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.