University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School Colors
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's school colors are Carolina Blue (#4B9CD3) and White (#FFFFFF). UNC's brand standards define 23 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the UNC colors
UNC's light blue and white come from its two original student debating societies: the Dialectic Society, founded in 1795, used light blue ribbons on its diplomas, and the Philanthropic Society used white. When the university began playing intercollegiate sports in the 1880s and 1890s, teams adopted both societies' colors to show that members of each were on the team. The university dates its use of Carolina Blue to 1795, although the name "Carolina Blue" itself came into common use later, and the shade is now standardized as Pantone 542.
Sources: diphi.web.unc.edu · dailytarheel.com · goheels.com
Photo: Alexander H., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Disc Wheel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Yeungb, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UNC primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Blue | #4B9CD3 | 75, 156, 211 | 60, 19, 1, 4 | PMS 542 C | |
| Navy | #13294B | 19, 41, 75 | 100, 90, 10, 77 | PMS 2767 C | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
UNC secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black C | |
| Bolin Creek | #2C5080 | 44, 80, 128 | 80, 55, 5, 34 | PMS 2161 C | |
| Fordham Fountain | #B7D7ED | 183, 215, 237 | 24, 7, 0, 2 | PMS 290 C | |
| Cloud | #EDF5FB | 237, 245, 251 | 6, 2, 0, 0 | PMS 290 C 30% | |
| Old Well Basin | #5B6670 | 91, 102, 112 | 68, 52, 44, 17 | PMS 431 C | |
| Flat Gray | #A2AAAD | 162, 170, 173 | 21, 11, 9, 23 | PMS 429 C | |
| Cornerstone | #CFD3D5 | 207, 211, 213 | 17, 11, 11, 0 | PMS 427 C | |
| Franklin Fog | #ECEDED | 236, 237, 237 | 6, 4, 4, 0 | PMS 427 C 40% |
Additional UNC palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | #E95550 | 233, 85, 80 | 3, 82, 69, 0 | PMS 2348 C | |
| Polk Pathways | #FBC8B6 | 251, 200, 182 | 0, 25, 24, 0 | PMS 6022 C | |
| Tulip Poplar | #FF9E1B | 255, 158, 27 | 0, 44, 97, 0 | PMS 1375 C | |
| Old East | #FECF86 | 254, 207, 134 | 0, 20, 54, 0 | PMS 1345 C | |
| Ginkgo | #FFD340 | 255, 211, 64 | 0, 16, 85, 0 | PMS 122 C | |
| Coastal Sand | #FFEEC2 | 255, 238, 194 | 0, 5, 26, 0 | PMS 122 C 35% | |
| Piedmont Pine | #006D6A | 0, 109, 106 | 100, 36, 58, 18 | PMS 7719 C | |
| Dogwood | #B6DDC0 | 182, 221, 192 | 30, 0, 30, 0 | PMS 2253 C | |
| Beautyberry | #9F237E | 159, 35, 126 | 42, 100, 14, 1 | PMS 2415 C | |
| Coneflower | #EBCAE1 | 234, 203, 225 | 5, 23, 0, 0 | PMS 671 C | |
| Mountain Dusk | #4E3C98 | 78, 60, 152 | 85, 92, 0, 0 | PMS 2098 C | |
| Aster | #B1B8DD | 179, 177, 221 | 29, 23, 0, 0 | PMS 270 C |
Matching UNC colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from UNC's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to UNC's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 512 styles close to Carolina Blue, 2109 styles close to Navy.
Clothing in Carolina Blue #4B9CD3
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Carolina Blue, measured from the garment itself. 512 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Navy #13294B
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Navy, measured from the garment itself. 2109 matching styles in stock.
UNC colors: frequently asked questions
What are UNC school colors?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's school colors are Carolina Blue (#4B9CD3) and White (#FFFFFF). The official brand palette also includes Navy as a primary color, plus 20 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Carolina Blue?
Carolina Blue is #4B9CD3 (RGB 75, 156, 211, CMYK 60, 19, 1, 4).
What Pantone color is Carolina Blue?
Carolina Blue is PMS 542 C.
Why are UNC's colors Carolina Blue and White?
UNC's light blue and white come from its two original student debating societies: the Dialectic Society, founded in 1795, used light blue ribbons on its diplomas, and the Philanthropic Society used white. When the university began playing intercollegiate sports in the 1880s and 1890s, teams adopted both societies' colors to show that members of each were on the team.
Color values are taken from the official University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.