North Carolina State University Review

North Carolina State University, or NC State for short, is a public, 4-year university in Raleigh, NC. The university was ranked the nation's sixth-best public 4-year institution by ''The Princeton Review'' in 2009. NC State offers several associate degree programs, more than 100 each of undergraduate and graduate degree programs and more than 60 doctoral programs.

Overview of North Carolina State University

NC State was founded in 1889 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, the state's land-grant institution, according to its website. It is commonly referred to in North Carolina as the 'People's University' because of the breadth of educational services it provides to the state's many economic sectors.

The university is made up of 10 colleges: design, education, agriculture and life sciences, engineering, management, humanities and social sciences, natural resources, textiles, physical and mathematical sciences and veterinary medicine. A single graduate school oversees both graduate and doctoral degrees. Enrollment at North Carolina State University was more than 31,000 students in the fall of 2009.

Admissions and Enrollment Overview

Admission to NC State is based on an application (which can be completed online), high school class ranking, notable high school achievements, standardized test scores and past community involvement. Recently, approximately one-half of students who applied to North Carolina State University were admitted.

Students at NC State have a variety of federal and state scholarships and grants they may apply for. Each of the ten colleges at North Carolina State University offers its own scholarships. One opportunity available on an as-needed basis, regardless of college, is the school's Pack Promise program, which guarantees 100% of tuition coverage through scholarships, work-study and other methods.

Campus Learning Environment and Facilities

NC State's campus provides open computer access to the entire university community in, among other places, the colleges of agriculture and life sciences, education, humanities and social sciences, natural resources and textiles, as well as the D.H. Hill Library. Labs in other colleges are for use only by members of that college. The university also has a virtual computer lab for mathematics applications. North Carolina State University has at total of six libraries: Hill, Burlington Textiles, Harrye B. Lyons Design, Natural Resources and William Rand Kenan Jr. of Veterinary Medicine.

NC State's teacher-to-student ratio is 17:1. The university places great importance in real-life experience through job internships, co-ops, gallery exhibitions and other such opportunities relevant to the specific field of study.

Colleges of North Carolina State University

  • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • College of Veterinary Medicine
  • College of Education
  • College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • College of Design
  • College of Textiles
  • College of Natural Resources
  • College of Management
  • College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
  • College of Engineering