This statistical abstract presents 84 tables and 17 graphs that profile the current status of public and private higher education in North Carolina. Data were gathered from a survey conducted in the summer and fall of 1996. The tables and graphs contain both current and trend data on enrollment (including headcount, full-time equivalent, and out-of-state student data), undergraduate transfers (both within and from outside the state), degrees conferred, faculty (including academic rank and gender), library resources (including holdings and expenditures), costs to students, admissions (including average standardized test scores, applications, and acceptances), student financial aid (including grants, loans, and work-study), and student housing (including capacity and utilization). Three appendixes provide information on data sources, definitions of terms, and discipline categories. (MDM)