NC State Drives Economy

North Carolina’s vitality depends on an economic triple play: a rare mix of technology-rich industries, scientific innovation and high-skill workers. NC State University is the powerhouse that makes that possible, achieving breakthroughs in the lab that translate into solutions for business, and educating a 21st century workforce driven by a spirit of entrepreneurship.

Here’s the proof:

> When the state’s textiles industry declined in the face of cutthroat global competition, shedding thousands of jobs, NC State launched the Nonwovens Institute, a research and development partnership with industry leaders that gave birth to the advanced textiles industry in North Carolina.

> Our pioneering Industrial Extension Service, established in 1955, helps businesses compete and win by increasing their efficiency, productivity, quality and—as a result—profits. The service has generated more than $1 billion in direct gains to the state over the past five years.

> The FREEDM Center, funded by the National Science Foundation, is working to create the next-generation power grid. The center’s researchers have made significant advances toward developing new transformers, better communications systems and more efficient electric-vehicle batteries.

> The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center at NC State gives students advanced hands-on training using the same facilities and equipment found in the world’s leading biotech companies.

> Our Institute for Advanced Analytics is a national model for education in statistical analysis.  Graduates have a more than 98 percent placement rate and an average entering salary of  $83,000.

Top Programs

Programs like these have propelled NC State to the top ranks of research universities nationwide. Our veterinary medicine program is ranked third in the nation and we have the fourth largest engineering program in the country.

As a land-grant university with a commitment to serving the state, we offer one of the best values in higher education, placing third among the public universities surveyed by U.S. News & World Report this year.

Centennial Campus, a national model for university-based research parks since its creation in 1984, was named the world’s top research park by the Association of University Research Parks in 2007.

It’s no wonder the Wall Street Journal said corporate recruiters ranked NC State among the best places to find job candidates.