North Carolina State University: Influence Ranking, Acceptance Rate & Notable Alumni

North Carolina State University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank: #119
Acceptance rate (fall 2024): 42%
Tuition and fees (2025–26): $8,815
Graduation rate: 85%
Undergraduates (fall 2024): 27,371

Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

North Carolina State University Featured Rankings

About North Carolina State University

By James A. Barham, PhD

In brief

North Carolina State University (NC State), in Raleigh, was founded in 1887. With more than 36,000 students, it is the largest university in North Carolina, and it forms one corner of the Research Triangle with UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #119 in the United States and #364 in the world. It admitted 41.7% of applicants for fall 2024; admitted students had a median SAT score of 1385 and a median ACT score of 30.

It is best known for its professional colleges, among them the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, the Wilson College of Textiles, and the College of Design.

Where NC State’s influence is strongest

NC State’s influence is concentrated in the earth sciences, engineering, and biology. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:

Earth sciences: #57 in the US (#220 in the world)
Engineering: #65
Biology: #69
Chemistry: #70
Mathematics: #71

Within those fields, NC State is a national leader in several specialties:

#3 in the US: instructional theory (behind the University of Chicago and Harvard)
#5: adult education
#9: environmental ethics
#11: agricultural economics

By comparison, NC State sits further back in anthropology (#217), law (#222), and religious studies (#278).

How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.

Notable people

NC State-connected figures include Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, who led the IPCC when it won the Nobel Peace Prize, the software entrepreneur James Goodnight, the electrical engineer John S. Mayo, the actor Zach Galifianakis, the generals Ray Odierno and Hugh Shelton, Apple’s former chief operating officer Jeff Williams, and former North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt Jr. Our full lists of NC State’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.

Frequently asked questions

Is NC State hard to get into? Moderately. It admitted 41.7% of applicants for fall 2024; the middle half of admitted students scored 650–720 on the SAT reading section and 650–750 on math.

What does NC State cost after financial aid? Tuition is $8,815 for North Carolina residents and $33,780 for out-of-state students in 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $10,322 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $6,149 for incomes below $30,000 to $25,674 for incomes above $110,000.

How do NC State graduates do? 84.9% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 94% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $77,810.

What is NC State best known for academically? By our influence data: the earth sciences, engineering, and biology, plus instructional theory, where it ranks third in the country.

According to Wikipedia, North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university forms one of the corners of the Research Triangle together with Duke University in Durham and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

North Carolina State University's Online Degrees

Doctorate in Design

Required Credits: 54
Format: Fully online

Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
Income	Average Net Cost
0 - 30K	$6,149
30K - 48K	$6,914
48K - 75K	$10,322
75K - 110K	$18,201
110K+	$25,674

North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University at a Glance

North Carolina State University Featured Rankings

About North Carolina State University

In brief

Where NC State’s influence is strongest

Notable people

Frequently asked questions

North Carolina State University's Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

North Carolina State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

How Much Does North Carolina State University Cost To Attend?

How Much Do North Carolina State University Graduates Make?

North Carolina State University's Demographics

Where is North Carolina State University?

How Safe is North Carolina State University?

What Is North Carolina State University Known For?

North Carolina State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Who Are North Carolina State University's Most Influential Alumni?

Who Are North Carolina State University's Most Influential Faculty?

Image Attributions