About
North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 by the North Carolina General Assembly as an agricultural and mechanical college, it is the largest university in the Carolinas and a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 275 Title IV programs, 106 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 169 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing106 · 38.5%
- No Data169 · 61.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 6
Action history · 13
- Oct 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- Sep 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Dec 2024Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Oct 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · School Psychology (SCPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Sep 2021Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education · Veterinary Medicine (VET) - Programs leading to a D.V.M. or D.M.V. degree
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,983 students received $42.0M in Pell grants, alongside $113.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 4,800 borrowers who entered repayment, 51 (1.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at NCSU
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus45
- Non-campus2
- Public property2
Includes 21 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Owen Hall1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- ES King Village - Edgecombe Ha1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
NCSU vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions NCSU selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh | 85% | — | 38,464 | $16,931 | R1 Research |
| 94% | 14.1% | 53,363 | $13,289 | R1 Research | |
| 81% | 84.8% | 52,089 | $20,751 | R1 Research | |
| 83% | 49.9% | 58,658 | $13,945 | R1 Research | |
| 84% | 58.1% | 52,269 | $23,519 | R1 Research | |
| 68% | 86.1% | 56,365 | $15,960 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 41.8% | 40,065 | $15,288 | R1 Research | |
| 91% | 24.2% | 56,311 | $6,351 | R1 Research | |
| 85% | 42.4% | 59,238 | $15,201 | R1 Research | |
| 89% | 44.8% | 41,725 | $15,590 | R1 Research | |
| 90% | 45.2% | 51,044 | $16,928 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 54.8% | 38,857 | $23,790 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 86% | 45.2% | 52,179 | $15,775 |
Institutions like NCSU
Explore the federal data for institutions in NCSU's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchGeorgia
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Grad rate94%Admit rate14.1%Enrollment53,363Net price$13,289View data - R1 ResearchMichigan
Michigan State University
Grad rate81%Admit rate84.8%Enrollment52,089Net price$20,751View data - R1 ResearchIndiana
Purdue University-Main Campus
Grad rate83%Admit rate49.9%Enrollment58,658Net price$13,945View data - R1 ResearchNew Jersey
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Grad rate84%Admit rate58.1%Enrollment52,269Net price$23,519View data - R1 ResearchArizona
University of Arizona
Grad rate68%Admit rate86.1%Enrollment56,365Net price$15,960View data - R1 ResearchCalifornia
University of California-Davis
Grad rate86%Admit rate41.8%Enrollment40,065Net price$15,288View data - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of Florida
Grad rate91%Admit rate24.2%Enrollment56,311Net price$6,351View data - R1 ResearchIllinois
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Grad rate85%Admit rate42.4%Enrollment59,238Net price$15,201View data - R1 ResearchMaryland
University of Maryland-College Park
Grad rate89%Admit rate44.8%Enrollment41,725Net price$15,590View data - R1 ResearchWisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Grad rate90%Admit rate45.2%Enrollment51,044Net price$16,928View data - R1 ResearchVirginia
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate86%Admit rate54.8%Enrollment38,857Net price$23,790View data
NCSU Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
UDA empowers leaders with accurate, timely, and actionable information, maximizes the value and availability of institutional data resources for the university community, and provides official university data to stakeholders.
Visit IR office page- McKinney AustinInterim Senior Vice Provost for University Data and Analytics
- Ehsan BagheriData Scientist
- Sylvia BezawadaBusiness Intelligence Analyst
- Tim CarrollSenior Institutional Research Analyst
- Justin ChandlerInstitutional Reporting Lead
- Brad CollinsBusiness Intelligence Analyst
- Lexi CrankSurvey Research Specialist
- Christine DavisData Governance Specialist
- Grae DesmondTechnical Operations & Development Lead
- Raul DoyleDirector, Data Governance
- Jesse LongData Governance Specialist
- Caroline OrtizAssistant Vice Provost for Institutional Analytics
- Kara ReddishInstitutional Research Analyst
- Samantha RichSenior Survey Research Analyst
- Jackie RossInstitutional Analyst
- Theint Theint SanInstitutional Research Analyst
- Stephanie StewartInformation Technology Analyst Programmer
- Megan StittExecutive Assistant to the Interim Senior Vice Provost for University Data and Analytics
- Allison SwimBusiness Intelligence Lead
- Matt Van JuraDirector, Research and Analysis and Special Projects
- Susan WangSenior Institutional Analyst
- Nancy WhelchelAssistant Vice Provost for Institutional Survey Research and Analysis
Common Data Set
NCSU's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C144,043 applied → 18,201 admitted (41.3%) → 5,391 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Selective — 41.3% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1290–1440 (median 1360).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 25–32 (median 29).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
Waitlist outcome
C29,704 offered a waitlist spot, 4,194 accepted it, 261 admitted (6.2% of those who stayed on).
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $22,961 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $22,961 → about $10,343 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($12,618); 72% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H141% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H545% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $25,344 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 85%; first-year retention 93%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 5 pts below the overall rate (80% vs 85%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I332% of classes have under 20 students; 20% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~43% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B22% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B128,422 undergraduates and 10,042 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D15,013 transfer applicants → 2,361 admitted (47.1%) → 1,574 enrolled
Reports & documents (5)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardudc.uda.ncsu.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookFactbook | University Data and Analytics2026The Factbook from North Carolina State University's University Data and Analytics provides insights into key university metrics such as student enrollment, student credit hours, and student success indicators, including graduation and retention rates. It also covers faculty and staff data. Certain detailed reports require authentication for access. The factbook aims to offer a comprehensive view of the university's data, utilizing tools like SAS Visual Analytics for in-depth analysis.uda.ncsu.edu
- GlossaryResearch Compliance DefinitionsThe glossary page on North Carolina State University's research compliance site provides comprehensive definitions for 122 terms associated with research administration and compliance. Topics include research integrity, export control regulations, conflict of interest, IRB processes, and ethical practices in research. Emphasis is placed on safeguarding human subjects, managing information in compliance with federal regulations, and ensuring scientific integrity in research undertakings.research.ncsu.edu
- Strategic planWolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary2021NC State University's strategic plan, 'Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary,' outlines goals and initiatives for the period 2021 to 2030. It aims to build on past successes and address areas of needed growth in education, research, engagement, and community involvement, while championing equality and well-being. The plan prioritizes student empowerment, innovative partnerships, and university reputation, setting a high bar for achievement and an example for peer institutions.strategicplan.ncsu.edu
Grants & funding (11)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityCollier ScholarshipNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityCommunity Engaged Internship for UndergraduatesNorth Carolina Sea Grantinstitution_site
- opportunityGAANN Fellowship ProgramNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityGoodnight Doctoral FellowshipNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityGraduate School Doctoral Dissertation Completion GrantsNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityMolecular Biotechnology Training Program TraineeshipsNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityTravel GrantsNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityUniversity Graduate FellowshipsNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityWarren-Wolfpack Club Graduate FellowshipNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityWells Fargo Supplemental FellowshipNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
- opportunityWilkinson Graduate FellowshipNC State Graduate Schoolinstitution_site
Frequently asked questions about North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about NCSU.
What is the graduation rate at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
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Where is North Carolina State University at Raleigh located?
Who runs Institutional Research at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
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