Enrollment: 24741
Average SAT: 607
Average ACT: 25
Most Popular Majors: Biology/Biological Sciences, General,Business Administration and Management, General,Mechanical Engineering,
Regular Application Deadline: 02/01
Student Faculty Ratio: 16:1

Undergraduate Receiving Need-Based Financial Aid: 63
Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $9,282.00

Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges
Least Beautiful Campus
Class Discussions Rare

Students Say - Academics
North Carolina State University provides its student body with a combination of practical experience and theoretical knowledge in a curriculum with a technological bent. It offers strong programs in business, textiles and design, engineering, pre-medical sciences, and a host of agricultural and wildlife sciences. While some here feel the school "offers no liberal arts program," others point out that its college of humanities and social science is "underrated" and "becoming just as important as [the] engineering and agriculture" colleges. There is no doubt, however, the school "emphasiz[es] out-of-classroom experiences." A senior boasts, "All I had to do was ask my professors about opportunities in my field and they heaped internships and research studies so high on me I had to reject six of them." A junior adds, "NCSU really cares about students and provid[es] them with great facilities, community resources, and professors-something you can't really say for many schools of this size." Students report the faculty is "very knowledgeable." "Many people tell you in high school that professors do not care about you [or] your academic success, but from what I have seen here at NCSU, most professors do care as long as you are willing to put forth the effort to ask," a freshman reports. The administration, on the other hand, "is very difficult to get a hold of, unless it's something they themselves care about." Fortunately, many administrative tasks can be handled easily online.

Students Say - Campus Life
NC State benefits from a great location. "There is always something fun going on" in hometown Raleigh, with "lots of universities within a 30-mile radius, including Duke, UNC, Peace, Meredith, Shaw, and others.…There are many people in their early 20s to meet and hang out with." There are also "lots of golf courses, tennis courts, basketball courts, etc., for sports enthusiasts. You will not get bored in Raleigh, [but] if somehow you do…drive to Chapel Hill or Greenville." A slightly longer car trip-approximately two hours-puts you on the beach (east) or the mountains (west). ACC athletics dominate the thoughts of many in the area. NCSU's rivalries with nearby UNC and Duke are long-standing and legendary, especially in basketball, where all three schools typically field competitive teams. "Wolfpack pride is definitely evident throughout campus and even many portions of Raleigh." The school is home to "plenty of on-campus clubs and activities many people participate in during the day. No matter what you are interested in, there is normally a club for it, and NCSU students are very active within their campus organizations and with the community." While "most people stay focused during the week…when the weekend comes they leave that behind for the party scene," which centers on Greek houses and student housing or on bars that "become the hang-out spot." Students point out, however, "this doesn't mean that there aren't other things to do or that you won't have any friends" if "you aren't into drinking."

Students Say - Student Body
At a school of more than 20,000, you'll find a little of everything, and NCSU is no exception to that rule. "Athletes, computer geeks, frat dogs, sorority girls, skaters, intellects, grad students, goths, exchange students, etc." are peppered among the more populous "a griculture majors who wear overalls and talk with a thick southern accent" or "engineering majors who are kind of geeky." In the same vein, NCSU "is a very conservative campus," but it is not without its "politically liberal students" and homosexual and minority advocacy groups. Atypical students "fit in really well in certain degree programs, especially textiles."

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
East Carolina University

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