The following reviews are the views of students or alumni at this school and are unrelated to the school data and other editorial content on usnews.com. These reviews neither reflect nor impact a school's position within the Best Colleges rankings.
NCSU is in the heart of Raleigh, in the research triangle of universities. It's also the biggest public college in the state (though you still see people you know around campus regularly). Nearly every building on campus is made of red brick, so it's not exactly attractive... but you grow to like it. We have a rivalry with UNC (Chapel Hill) which they try to claim isn't real, even though it's been going on since before Duke was even established. There is a ton of school pride in regards to sports, and we consistently have the best college football fans in the state. We also typically have the best football team in the state, though that's not saying much at all. Our basketball program is traditionally good, though right now it's struggling.
Steven Sophomore
The best thing about NCSU is that it is a place you can feel welcome. I visited many other campuses before NCSU, and the big difference between NCSU and the other colleges was that I felt I could truly find my place at NC State. The environment is welcoming, the student body is diverse enough to fit any lifestyle, and the opportunities are huge. However, NCSU may not be for those who do not like big schools. NCSU has an enormous population, which is a positive for me. However, it may not be for others seeking smaller schools. I spend most of my time on campus in the library. My major is one which requires constant studying, and most of my free time is spent in the library doing such. Another great thing about NCSU is its intense school pride. While there are many students who choose not to participate in school spirit, the majority of the population constantly shows a school spirit that cannot be matched. Having a student body that is so invested in their school makes the atmosphere much more enjoyable for those who love having school pride.
Jenifer Sophomore
Condsidering I have wanted to attend NCSU since I was in 3rd grade, I had some pretty high expectations when I got there. Fortunately, NCSU met & even surpassed all of my expectations. The location is amazing! The campus sits right outside of downtown Raleigh and there are plenty of places to go hang out & have a laid back dinner with friends. Also, we have an unbelievable amount of school spirit. If you aren't wearing red, singing the fight song and screaming your heart out at our sporting events, then we know you must not be a part of the pack!
Caitlin Sophomore
I really enjoyed my four years at NCSU and actually wish I could have stayed longer. It's definitely a big school, but I enjoyed the change of pace from high school. The campus is not the most attractive I've seen, but a lot of it is just old and they've been doing a lot over the last several years to improve it. The new addition to the gym is awesome.
Lindsay Alum
The greatest thing about NC State are the opportunities-both on and off campus. On campus, there are hundred of organization in which students can participate, from fraternities to political and debate clubs to organizations specific to your particular major or career interest. The number of resources available to students for community service, career development, etc. is enormous. Then you have the Raleigh area in general. Raleigh is most definitely a "college town" with 5 universities all together in the area--but, it is also the center of North Carolina government. The surrounding area offers amazing opportunities to students both during their college career and after they graduate. The NC General Assembly and many other agencies are located just a few miles down the road, as well as the Research Triangle Park linking research within NC State, UNC and Duke. These offer great internship opportunities to students and chances to get involved in the local community. There is often a stigma that students must compete with faculty and administration in bringing about change. From first hand experience, however, I've found that if students truly desire for something to change and are willing to put in the time to talk with faculty and administrators about policies, they are usually very open to new ideas to create a better environment for students. The University is currently undergoing plans for some major rennovation on the student centers and on-campus dining opportunities to better accommodate students' needs and wants and make campus more student-oriented.
Amber Junior
The best thing at State is the amazing school spirit, students and faculty here bleed red and white. One thing I would change is the buildings. We are ranked as one of the country's ugliest campuses, but we do have some pretty buildings like at the design school or centennial, but I wish we could update some of them and give it a fresh look. I like the size of our school, I wanted to go to a big school and you can walk to class and see nobody you are know or ten people, you never know what you are going to get. They refer me to my sport's team, since we have not been doing great recently. I spend most of my time on Centennial because I am a textile student. I hate that NC State is in the capital city because we are held to different standards than ogther schools. I feel like the police are just out to get every drunk kid out there when there are real problems like burglaries, rapes, and homeless people roming around the school. We can't just have a normal college party like at other schools because it is pretty much inevitable that if it's a good enough part, the cops are going to come. And the person throwing the parry is always worried about who's coming over and worried that the cops will come. I think that the administration is good, other than the incredibly over strict policy on tailgating. We have such an amazing tradition of tailgating, that we shouldn't have to curtail our fun in the case of families being there. It is our school, and we should be able to have just as much fun as any other school does. I can't think of any recent controversies. Our school has AMAZING pride in our teams of all sports; it's really inspiring. It is unusual that anyone can ride the wolfline. Isn't that what the CAT buses are for. The homeless and crazy people that get on the buses can be a danger to students, and they are just plain weird.
Genna Junior
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