North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina.[7] Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas.[8] 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”.[9]
The North Carolina General Assembly established the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now NC State, on March 7, 1887, originally as a land-grant college. The college underwent several name changes and officially became North Carolina State University at Raleigh in 1965, and by longstanding convention, the “at Raleigh” portion was omitted. Today, NC State has an enrollment of more than 35,000 students, making it among the largest in the country. NC State has historical strengths in engineering, statistics, agriculture, life sciences, textiles, and design and offers bachelor’s degrees in 106 fields of study. The graduate school offers master’s degrees in 104 fields, doctoral degrees in 61 fields, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.[10]
NC State athletic teams are known as the Wolfpack. The name was adopted in 1922 when a disgruntled fan described the behavior of the student body at athletic events as being “like a wolf pack.” They compete in NCAA Division I and have won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles under other sanctioning bodies.