University in United States
Raleigh, NC, United States
University profile
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was established in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, founded on the idea that the children of farmers, mechanics and other workers should have access to higher education. It is classified Research 1 and educates more North Carolinians than any other university in the state, with more than 40,500 students, over 2,500 faculty and over 7,700 staff and a student-faculty ratio of 15:1.
The university is organised into 10 colleges and a Graduate School with 67 departments and more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programmes:
The Graduate School offers more than 200 master's, doctoral and graduate certificate programmes, and more than 100 online programmes with over 1,000 courses are available. NC State is known for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while 44% of incoming fall 2026 students are pursuing a non-STEM programme.
The main campus is in Raleigh, in the Research Triangle region, with the award-winning Centennial Campus, a public-private research park, home to more than 70 industry, government and nonprofit partners and 75 university centres, institutes and departments. NC State Extension serves all 100 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The university has an endowment of $2.54 billion.
University Housing offers 24 residence halls and four apartment communities with a total residential capacity of 10,099 beds (excluding Greek Village), and Living and Learning Villages that group students by interest. First-year students are subject to a residency requirement. The NC State University Libraries comprise the D. H. Hill Jr. Library, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library and branch libraries for design, natural resources and veterinary medicine. Athletics compete as the Wolfpack in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The student body represents more than 110 countries. The Office of International Services supports students on F and J visas with immigration, employment and travel matters, and the Intensive English Program offers conditional admission to academically competitive applicants who do not yet meet English proficiency minimums. The University Honors Program, Park Scholarships and Goodnight Scholarships are among the distinctive undergraduate programmes.
Estimated annual cost of attendance for a full-time undergraduate living on campus in 2026-27: tuition and fees $9,247 for North Carolina residents and $34,961 for out-of-state students; housing $8,738, food $6,684, books and supplies $642, personal expenses $1,650, transportation $1,485 (residents) or $2,060 (out-of-state); total $28,490 for residents and $54,779 for out-of-state students. International students are classified for tuition by the North Carolina Residency Determination Service.
Federal, state and institutional need-based aid requires the FAFSA (NC State school code 002972; priority filing date 1 March). Merit scholarships are applied for through the PACK ASSIST portal after admission, with maximum consideration for applications received by 15 February.
Details: admissions.ncsu.edu/afford and Student Services Center.
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View scholarships for North Carolina State University →Apply through Common App or Coalition on Scoir; the university has no preference. Early Action deadline is 1 November and Regular Decision deadline is 15 January. Early Action applicants receive priority consideration for scholarships and financial aid. Students choose a first and second-choice major, ideally in two different colleges. Studio-based majors (Architecture, Media Arts, Design and Technology, Fashion and Textile Design, Graphic and Experience Design, Industrial Design) have a single 1 November deadline and require a portfolio; Music Technology requires an additional portfolio and essay. The application requires an essay of 650 words or fewer, a required short-answer question on the chosen programme and an official high-school transcript. Spring applicants apply by 1 October. The University Honors Program deadline is 1 November. The application fee is $85 for domestic applicants.
NC State is test optional for first-year applicants with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above. Applicants with a weighted GPA of at least 2.5 and below 2.8 must submit an ACT of 17 or higher or an SAT of 930 or higher. Submitted scores are self-reported and super-scored (SAT code 5496, ACT code 3164); official scores are required before enrolment if scores were considered. For fall 2026 entrants the middle 50% weighted GPA was 4.2 to 4.5 and unweighted 3.7 to 4.0.
Fall transfer applicants apply by 15 February (materials by 1 March, notification by 15 April, rolling). Spring applicants apply by 1 October. Studio-based majors apply by 1 November.
International applicants are those who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and apply as first-year or transfer applicants by the same deadlines. The application fee is $100 and fee waivers are not accepted. Required: official secondary-school transcripts with English translations, proof of English proficiency, and proof of financial ability for F-1 or J-1 students (Certificate of Financial Responsibility with a bank statement issued within six months; the financial requirement for 2027-28 is $58,423). Applicants outside the U.S. receive decisions on a rolling basis. AP, IB and A or AS-level courses are recommended and may earn credit.
English proficiency for full undergraduate admission: TOEFL iBT 80 or higher with at least 18 in each sub-score (exams before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 or higher with at least 4 in each sub-score (on or after 21 January 2026); IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each sub-score; Duolingo English Test 110; PTE 58; TOEFL Essentials 9.0 with at least 8.0 in each sub-score; or completion of Level 6 of the NC State Intensive English Program. Conditional admission through the Intensive English Program is available at TOEFL iBT 42 (before 21 January 2026) or 3 (after), IELTS 5.0, Duolingo 80, PTE 36 and TOEFL Essentials 6.0. Nationals of listed English-speaking countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, are exempt from the test.
The Graduate School offers more than 200 master's, doctoral and graduate certificate programmes; deadlines and requirements are set by programme. Non-U.S. citizens must complete a Visa Clearance Form and, for F-1 or J-1 status, a Certificate of Financial Responsibility before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued. English proficiency for graduate study: TOEFL iBT 80 with at least 18 per section (before 21 January 2026), IELTS Academic 6.5 overall and in each section, or Duolingo 110 overall and in each sub-score; scores must be no older than two years. F-1 and J-1 students may not hold assistantships exceeding 20 hours per week in fall and spring.
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