North Carolina State University at Raleigh: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Cleveland, North Carolina · Private nonprofit · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a private nonprofit university in Cleveland, North Carolina that admits about 29% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $38,909 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Biology, General and Mechanical Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 87% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 9.6 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a private institution located in Cleveland, North Carolina with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, North Carolina State University at Raleigh admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 29%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1501 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $38,909 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether North Carolina State University at Raleigh is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
Admitted students at North Carolina State University at Raleigh typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does North Carolina State University at Raleigh weight in admissions?
North Carolina State University at Raleigh reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Standardized test scores
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores North Carolina State University at Raleigh typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 730–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 32–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1450 |
| 50th percentile | 1500 |
| 75th percentile | 1530 |
| % submitting SAT | 46% |
| 25th percentile | 32 |
| 50th percentile | 34 |
| 75th percentile | 35 |
| % submitting ACT | 23% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 74.48% |
| Top 25% of class | 94.41% |
| Top 50% of class | 99.65% |
| % submitting class rank | 17.67% |
How much does North Carolina State University at Raleigh actually cost?
Published tuition is $64,671 for in-state students and $64,671 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,202 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $38,909 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 17% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $68,660 |
| Room and board | $19,514 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $38,909 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for North Carolina State University at Raleigh
| Regular deadline | 1/15 |
| Notification date | 3/19 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 11/1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at North Carolina State University at Raleigh
The most popular undergraduate programs at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Biology, General and Mechanical Engineering. Across all programs, North Carolina State University at Raleigh confers roughly 777 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $119,949 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 141 | $119,949 |
| Biology, General | 116 | $63,457 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 108 | $92,158 |
| Psychology, General | 101 | $52,552 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 99 | $79,780 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 86 | $99,721 |
| Economics | 67 | $79,150 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 59 | $64,824 |
Is North Carolina State University at Raleigh safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), North Carolina State University at Raleigh disclosed 62 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 9.6 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 10 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
About 71% of undergraduates at North Carolina State University at Raleigh live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 16% of men join a fraternity and 14% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in North Carolina parents ask about
- Duke University19% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill40% acceptance
- Wake Forest University88% acceptance
- Appalachian State University7% acceptance
- East Carolina University94% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte74% acceptance
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro80% acceptance
- Davidson College64% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like North Carolina State University at Raleigh recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about North Carolina State University at Raleigh
What GPA do I need for North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
Admitted students at North Carolina State University at Raleigh typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does North Carolina State University at Raleigh typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 730–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 710. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 32–35.
How much does North Carolina State University at Raleigh actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at North Carolina State University at Raleigh after grants and scholarships is $38,909 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is North Carolina State University at Raleigh realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
North Carolina State University at Raleigh accepts about 29% of applicants out of roughly 37,082 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is North Carolina State University at Raleigh test-optional?
Yes. North Carolina State University at Raleigh is test-optional, so SAT and ACT scores are not required, but strong scores can still be submitted and will be considered.
What is the graduation rate at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
About 87% of students at North Carolina State University at Raleigh graduate within six years, and 72% finish in four years. 92% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does North Carolina State University at Raleigh look for in applicants?
North Carolina State University at Raleigh rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and extracurricular activities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is North Carolina State University at Raleigh a public or private school, and where is it located?
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a private nonprofit institution located in Cleveland, North Carolina.
What are the most popular majors at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
The largest undergraduate majors at North Carolina State University at Raleigh by annual graduates are Computer Science, Biology, General and Mechanical Engineering. The school awards about 777 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is North Carolina State University at Raleigh safe? What is its campus crime rate?
North Carolina State University at Raleigh reported 62 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 9.6 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
At North Carolina State University at Raleigh, 71% of undergraduates live on campus, 16% of men are in fraternities, 14% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by North Carolina State University at Raleigh, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.