Money Magazine Ranks NC State as #1 College in North Carolina

Money Magazine released their ‘best schools for the money’, and look who is slotting in at #1 in North Carolina.

That’s right pack fans. NC State is atop the list, followed by Duke at #2 and UNC at #3. In fact, NC State ranks 31st in the nation.

Taken into account for this ranking was Median SAT/ACT score, estimated price without aid, estimated price with average grant, percent with need who get grants, average student debt and early career earnings.

There are some interesting takeaways here. While it’s a little harder to get into Duke and UNC, students coming out of NC State with a degree make more ($53,800) in their early career than UNC students ($51,200).

So the boys in blue can keep running around with their dated data about how much more valuable their degrees are, but the statistics have spoken.

If you want to pay less and earn more in North Carolina…You go to NC State.

Here’s what they had to say about the Wolfpack:

North Carolina State University is a school with deep-rooted tradition and local pride. In fact, many current students have parents and grandparents who are NC State alumni. Probably best known for its agricultural science program, as well as its science research majors, NC State offers its 34,000 students some 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. With its location in urban Raleigh, there’s always plenty to do, both on campus and off. Hundreds of student clubs are constantly recruiting on the Brickyard, State’s central quad, and Greek parties run late into the night. But nothing brings the community together as much as cheering for their Division I sports teams, now in a century-old rivalry with nearby UNC. Students and professors go all out, dressing in red, roasting pigs at tailgating sessions and pitching tents in parking lots before games. When it comes time to study, the recently built learning commons offers a quiet escape. Classes are large, especially the introductory ones in the core curriculum. Nevertheless, undergrads say that professors are attentive and almost always available. The university has a solid 78% graduation rate, according to MONEY’s calculations, which is 10% higher than would be expected based on the academic preparation and economic background of NC State Raleigh’s students. In their first three years after graduating, alumni tend to earn an average salary of $53,800. (Link)