NC State Named a Top National STEM University

A new ranking confirms NC State’s position as a STEM education powerhouse.

The list, released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report, establishes NC State as the No. 1 public land-grant institution among top national colleges and universities granting the largest percentage of bachelor’s degrees in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

To make the list, institutions had to rank in the top half of national colleges and universities and grant at least a third of their undergraduate degrees in the STEM disciplines during the 2011-12 academic year. Of the 281 colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News, only 39 made this new list of leading STEM institutions.

NC State, which conferred 48 percent of its bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields last year, ranks 17th overall and 7th among public universities on the elite list. Of its 16 official peer institutions, only eight made the list.

College grads with STEM degrees face a brighter job market than others, despite the tough economy. The Department of Commerce estimates that STEM occupations will grow 1.7 times faster than non-STEM occupations in the coming decade. In order to meet these workforce demands, the United States will need approximately 1 million more STEM professionals than are projected to graduate by 2018.

NC State excels in preparing students to work in some of the fastest growing technology sectors in the economy, such as biomanufacturing, advanced analytics, computer engineering and interactive media development. The university’s strengths across a wide range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences and design, make for a robust student experience, with nearly limitless opportunities for collaboration and innovation. As a result, NC State graduates are among the most sought after by corporate recruiters, according to the Wall Street Journal. About three-quarters of NC State undergraduates in the 2012 senior class either had a job or were attending graduate/professional school within four months of graduation.

To determine which college majors to evaluate, U.S. News reported that it used the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of science, technology, engineering and math designated-degree programs.

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