The US colleges and universities with the most coronavirus cases since the pandemic began
- Colleges across the US are seeing upticks in coronavirus cases as students and faculty return to campus for the fall semester.
- The University of Alabama, University of South Carolina, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have some of the highest rates of coronavirus to date.
- Business Insider compiled a list of colleges and universities with 100 or more coronavirus cases.
As college students and staff return to campus for the fall semester, the coronavirus has arrived with them.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was one of the first colleges to experience a major spike in coronavirus cases, sending undergraduate students home shortly after attempting a return to campus. The University of Alabama, on the other hand, has allowed students to remain on campus for a hybrid learning experience despite an increase of over a thousand cases in the first two weeks of class.
The above map and following list reflect the most recent, comprehensive data available on September 1. To put these outbreaks in perspective, the list also includes college sizes (based on undergraduate enrollment per U.S. News & World Report) and the number of cases per 1,000 students.
However, schools are reporting their coronavirus cases in vastly different ways. Some colleges are publishing total case counts they've tallied since the start of the pandemic, while others only began reporting cases on campus at the start of the fall semester.
Most schools report case counts for students, faculty, and staff, which are all included in the total number of cases when available. But other universities only report student cases or don't specify who is included in their case counts. Eight of the schools on this list included cases from their affiliated medical schools or medical centers. For these reasons, the data below should not be used to make direct comparisons between schools.
Here are 70 colleges, universities, and medical schools with coronavirus outbreaks of 100 cases or more.
University of Alabama
- Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- College size: 33,028
- Total number of cases: 1,367 cases since Jan. 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 41
- Source: University of Alabama System
University of South Carolina
- Location: Columbia, S.C.
- College size: 26,733
- Total number of cases: 1,192 cases since Aug. 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 45
- Source: University of South Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
- College size: 19,117
- Total number of cases: 1,100 cases since Feb. 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 58
- Source: UNC-Chapel Hill
University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Location: Birmingham, Ala.
- College size: 13,836
- Total number of cases: 1,027* cases since Jan. 2020
- *This total includes 772 UAB employees who work in clinical enterprise settings.
- Source: University of Alabama System
Illinois State University
- Location: Normal, Ill.
- College size: 318,107
- Total number of cases: 1,023 cases since Aug. 17
- Cases per 1,000 students: 56
- Source: Illinois State University
East Carolina University
- Location: Greenville, N.C.
- College size: 23,071
- Total number of cases: 971 cases since June 7
- Cases per 1,000 students: 42
- Source: East Carolina University
University of Iowa
- Location: Iowa City, Iowa
- College size: 23,989
- Total number of cases: 935 cases since Aug. 18
- Cases per 1,000 students: 39
- Source: University of Iowa
University of Dayton
- Location: Dayton, Ohio
- College size: 8,617
- Total number of cases: 905 cases since Aug. 10
- Cases per 1,000 students: 105
- Source: University of Dayton
North Carolina State University
- Location: Raleigh, N.C.
- College size: 25,199
- Total number of cases: 871 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 35
- Source: North Carolina State University
Texas Christian University
- Location: Fort Worth, Texas
- College size: 9,445
- Total number of cases: 840 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 89
- Source: Texas Christian University
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Location: Champaign, Ill.
- College size: 33,915
- Total number of cases: 764 cases since July 6
- Cases per 1,000 students: 23
University of Central Florida
- Location: Orlando, Fla.
- College size: 58,913
- Total number of cases: 754 cases since the start of COVID-19
- Cases per 1,000 students: 13
- Source: University of Central Florida
Texas A&M University
- Location: College Station, Texas
- College size: 53,743
- Total number of cases: 752 cases since Aug. 18
- Cases per 1,000 students: 14
- Source: Texas A&M University
Georgia Institute of Technology
- Location: Atlanta, Ga.
- College size: 16,049
- Total number of cases: 716 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 45
- Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Iowa State University
- Location: Ames, Iowa
- College size: 29,621
- Total number of cases: 665 cases since Aug. 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 22
- Source: Iowa State University
Missouri State University
- Location: Springfield, Mo.
- College size: 20,138
- Total number of cases: 657 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 33
- Source: Missouri State University
Baylor University
- Location: Waco, Texas
- College size: 14,188
- Total number of cases: 647 cases since Aug. 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 46
- Source: Baylor University
University of Missouri
- Location: Columbia, Mo.
- College size: 22,503
- Total number of cases: 620 cases since Aug. 19
- Cases per 1,000 students: 28
- Source: University of Missouri
Georgia College & State University
- Location: Atlanta, Ga.
- College size: 5,958
- Total number of cases: 594 cases since June 18
- Cases per 1,000 students: 100
University of Notre Dame
- Location: South Bend, Ind.
- College size: 8,617
- Total number of cases: 583 cases since Aug. 3
- Cases per 1,000 students: 68
- Source: University of Notre Dame
Auburn University
- Location: Auburn, Ala.
- College size: 24,628
- Total number of cases: 557 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 23
- Source: Auburn University
Texas Tech University
- Location: Lubbock, Texas
- College size: 31,957
- Total number of cases: 551 cases since Aug. 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 17
- Source: Texas Tech University
Ohio State University
- Location: Columbus, Ohio
- College size: 46,820
- Total number of cases: 511 cases since Aug. 14
- Cases per 1,000 students: 11
- Source: Ohio State University
University of Georgia
- Location: Athens, Ga.
- College size: 29,611
- Total number of cases: 504 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 17
- Source: New York Times
University of Texas at Austin
- Location: Austin, Texas
- College size: 40,804
- Total number of cases: 496 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 12
- Source: University of Texas at Austin
University of Mississippi
- Location: Oxford, Miss.
- College size: 18,007
- Total number of cases: 481 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 27
- Source: University of Mississippi
University of Kansas
- Location: Lawrence, Kansas
- College size: 19,596
- Total number of cases: 474 cases to date
- Cases per 1,000 students: 24
- Source: University of Kansas
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
- College size: 22,815
- Total number of cases: 419 cases since June 8
- Cases per 1,000 students: 18
Clemson University
- Location: Clemson, S.C.
- College size: 19,669
- Total number of cases: 336 cases since June 5
- Cases per 1,000 students: 17
- Source: Clemson University
University of Michigan
- Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
- College size: 30,318
- Total number of cases: 316 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 10
- Source: University of Michigan
Northwest Missouri State University
- Location: Maryville, Mo.
- College size: 5,654
- Total number of cases: 312 cases since April 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 55
Western Kentucky University
- Location: Bowling Green, Ky.
- College size: 17,030
- Total number of cases: 299 cases since July 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 18
- Source: Western Kentucky University
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
- Location: Chattanooga, Tenn.
- College size: 10,239
- Total number of cases: 282 cases since June 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 28
University of Washington
- Location: Seattle, Wash.
- College size: 32,099
- Total number of cases: 281 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 9
- Source: New York Times
University of Florida
- Location: Gainesville, Fla.
- College size: 35,491
- Total number of cases: 273 cases since May 6
- Cases per 1,000 students: 8
- Source: University of Florida
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Location: Lexington, Ky.
- College size: 911 full-time students
- Total number of cases: 256* cases since March 2020
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
University of Kentucky
- Location: Lexington, Ky.
- College size: 22,136
- Total number of cases: 254 cases since Aug. 3
- Cases per 1,000 students: 11
- Source: University of Kentucky
Appalachian State University
- Location: Boone, N.C.
- College size: 17,381
- Total number of cases: 254 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 15
- Source: Appalachian State University
University of Pennsylvania
- Location: Philadelphia, Penn.
- College size: 10,183
- Total number of cases: 241 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 24
- Source: University of Pennsylvania
Texas State University
- Location: San Marcos, Texas
- College size: 34,187
- Total number of cases: 239 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 7
- Source: Texas State University
University of North Dakota
- Location: Grand Forks, N.D.
- College size: 10,519
- Total number of cases: 238 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 23
- Source: University of North Dakota
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
- Location: New Orleans, La.
- College size: 2,846
- Total number of cases: 232* cases since March 2020
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
Mississippi State University
- Location: Mississippi State, Miss.
- College size: 18,490
- Total number of cases: 231 cases since Aug. 18
- Cases per 1,000 students: 12
- Source: Mississippi State University
University of Northern Georgia
- Location: Dahlonega, Ga.
- College size: 19,041
- Total number of cases: 227* cases since Aug. 1
- *This total also includes cases from the UNG Cumming, Gainesville, and Oconnee campuses.
- Cases per 1,000 students: 12
- Source: University of Northern Georgia
University of South Florida
- Location: Tampa, Fla.
- College size: 32,238
- Total number of cases: 220 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 7
- Source: New York Times
West Virginia University
- Location: Morgantown, W. Va.
- College size: 21,155
- Total number of cases: 219 cases since July 21
- Cases per 1,000 students: 10
- Source: West Virginia University
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
- College size: 859 full-time students
- Total number of cases: 210* cases since March 2020
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
- Source: UT Health San Antonio
University of California, Los Angeles
- Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
- College size: 31,577
- Total number of cases: 199 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 6
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Location: Lubbock, Texas
- College size: 732 full-time students
- Total number of cases: 194* cases since March 2020
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
University of Houston
- Location: Houston, Texas
- College size: 38,348
- Total number of cases: 186 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 5
- Source: University of Houston
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- Location: Pembroke, N.C.
- College size: 6,069
- Total number of cases: 183 cases since Aug. 3
- Cases per 1,000 students: 30
- Source: UNC-Pembroke
Sam Houston State University
- Location: Huntsville, Texas
- College size: 18,473
- Total number of cases: 169 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 9
- Source: Sam Houston State University
Brigham Young University
- Location: Provo, Utah
- College size: 31,441
- Total number of cases: 168 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 5
- Source: New York Times
University of Utah
- Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
- College size: 24,743
- Total number of cases: 155 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 6
- Source: New York Times
Los Angeles Community College District
- Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
- College size: 230,446
- Total number of cases: 148 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 1
- Source: New York Times
University of California, Berkeley
- Location: Berkeley, Calif.
- College size: 30,853
- Total number of cases: 148 cases since April 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 5
University of Connecticut
- Location: Storrs, Conn.
- College size: 19,133
- Total number of cases: 145* cases
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
- Source: New York Times
University of Southern California
- Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
- College size: 19,907
- Total number of cases: 142 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 7
- Source: New York Times
Stanford University
- Location: Stanford, Calif.
- College size: 7,087
- Total number of cases: 136 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 19
- Source: Stanford University
Marquette University
- Location: Milwaukee, Wisc.
- College size: 8,435
- Total number of cases: 128 cases since March 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 15
- Source: Marquette University
Yale University
- Location: New Haven, Conn.
- College size: 5,964
- Total number of cases: 126 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 21
- Source: New York Times
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
- Location: Memphis, Tenn.
- College size: 685 full-time students
- Total number of cases: 119* cases since March 2020
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
Mercer University
- Location: Macon, Ga.
- College size: 4,797
- Total number of cases: 118 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 25
- Source: New York Times
University of Southern Mississippi
- Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
- College size: 11,920
- Total number of cases: 116 cases since Feb. 2020
- Cases per 1,000 students: 10
Augusta University
- Location: Augusta, Ga.
- College size: 5,463
- Total number of cases: 115 cases since Aug. 1
- Cases per 1,000 students: 21
- Source: Augusta University
Utah State University
- Location: Logan, Utah
- College size: 24,880
- Total number of cases: 114 cases since the start of the pandemic
- Cases per 1,000 students: 5
- Source: Utah State University
Oregon Health and Science University
- Location: Portland, Ore.
- College size: 630 full-time students
- Total number of cases: 113* cases to date
- *This total includes cases from students and staff working in clinical settings.
Georgia State University
- Location: Atlanta, Ga.
- College size: 27,190
- Total number of cases: 107 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 4
- Source: New York Times
Miami Dade College
- Location: Miami, Fla.
- College size: 54,973
- Total number of cases: 107 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 2
- Source: New York Times
University of Texas at El Paso
- Location: El Paso, Texas
- College size: 21,464
- Total number of cases: 103 cases
- Cases per 1,000 students: 5
Source: New York Times