North Carolina State University vs Virginia Tech, where to study in USA?

North Carolina State University vs Virginia Tech

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North Carolina State University is a public research university located in the main city “Raleigh”. NC State University’s STEM courses and business programs are the most desired programs by international students.Virginia Tech has been listed among the global rankings by several trusted rankings agencies including U.S News, QS and Times Higher Education.The university has also been listed among the national rankings by top ranking agencies. As per the Virginia Tech Rankings in USA, the institute ranks #62 in the Best National University 2023 by U.S News

Overview Comparison
North Carolina State UniversityVirginia Tech
Collegedunia Score5.2 Out of 10-
ranking (overall)# 311 QS World University 2025
# 60 US News 2024
# 101 QS World University 2024
# 389 QS World University 2025
# 47 US News 2024
# 251 QS World University 2024
Subject Strength# 25 for Engineering by US News 2024
# 189 for Medicine by QS World University 2024
# 30 for Engineering by US News 2024
# 358 for Medicine by QS World University 2024
# 251 for Law by Times Higher Education 2022
ProgramsUG Programs -84
PG Programs -72
UG Programs -95
PG Programs -65
Doctorate Programs -1
Acceptance Rate48.0 %71.0 %
Exam ScoreDuolingo-110
IELTS-6.5
PTE-62
SAT-1230
TOEFL-80
GMAT-600
IELTS-6.5
SAT-1180
TOEFL-90
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   37410
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  24735
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 37333 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   33857
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  23670
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 24705 Per Year
placement (average package)

Graduate employability rank (2020): 111-120.
Highest Paid Degrees- MBA ($135,000). MSc ($129,000), Other masters ($124,000). BSc ($93,000). 


Graduate Employability Rankings- #363(QS – World University Rankings 2023) #62(US news an world report-Best National University) ; Top recruiters: Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Virginia Tech, Lockheed Martin Corp, Capital One Financial Corp;

Average Salaries are as follows:

  • MBA :  $134,000 
  • Master (Other) : $120,000 
  • Bachelor of Science :  $83,000 
  • Masters in Science  :  $80,000 
  • Bachelor of Arts :  $55,000

application requirements

SAT/ACT scores are required by all applicants, applications are accepted through both Common App and Coalition app. 

Academic transcripts; GMAT/ GRE scores for graduate admission; 3 LORs; Sop; Resume; Proof of English language proficiency.

CollegeDunia Reviews7.7/10 Read 9 reviews8.0/10 Read 4 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsNorth Carolina State UniversityVirginia Tech
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1887
1872
Student:Faculty Ratio13:1
14:1
Male:Female55% Male, 45% Female57% Male, 43% Female
Location Facts

Located in North Carolina, the main campus has three sub-campuses. Some of the surrounding structure include Memorial Bell Tower, Court of North Carolina, and Free Expression Tunnel.  


Main campus located in Blacksburg; about 40 miles southwest of Roanoke, Virginia; situated on a plateau between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains; includes 213 buildings, 2,600 acres, and an airport


Library

The NC State Library system comprises of 5 libraries- D.H Hill Jr Library, Harrye B. Lyons Design Library, Natural, James B Hunt Jr Library, and William Rand Keenan Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine. The university library has a consortium that holds a combined research collection of over 23 million forming the second-largest academic research collection in country. 


The libraries offer everything from technology-rich spaces, exhibits, and collections to services for managing research data and scholarship. The libraries also assist students and faculty in publishing scholarly works and offer consulting on a wide array of learning, research, and creative activities. They have three libraries on the Virginia Tech campus.

It includes:

  • Primary Civil War documents in Special Collections
  • Women in Art + Architecture collection
  • More than 1 million e-books
  • More than 6,800 DVDs
  • Thousands of 16 mm films
  • Bestselling books, including recently published fiction and non-fiction


Campus Life

There are 70 intramural & sports clubs, 9 varieties of foods (apart from the dining halls). Apart from this you can also indulge in arts, theatre, music dance. The university has its own museum, crafts center, There are around 700 student clubs and organizations catering to agriculture, health, science, music, food, and more is where you can find your calling. 


Globber Connect for students to participate in 100+ student clubs; Globberfest (Annual festival), VT Engage (service-learning and civic engagement center); Recreational Sports Department with 39 intramural sports, on-campus gyms, aquatic centers, more than 100 group exercises classes; Cultural & Community Centers; Women’s Center; Cranwell International Center; Schiffert Health Center; Hokie Wellness that offers peer-led workshops; Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC)- military component of the student body.


Hostel#Rooms - $10084
#Rooms (Studio Room) - $12150
#Rooms (Double Room) - $9105
#Room & Board (Private) - $12028
#Room and Board - $12677
Famous Alumni

Rajendra Pachauri (chairman of intergovernmental pannel on climate change), Russel Wilson (football quarterback), John Edwards (former US Senator for North Carolina), Robert Gibbs (former White House press secretary), Thurl Bailey (basketball player), John Tesh (pianist), Lara Trump (TV producer), etc. Total Collections- 5.3+ million; 678 databases; 1,200,000 ebooks.


250,000+ living alumni; Hoda Kotb (American-Egyptian broadcaster); Homer Hickam (American author); Bruce Smith (American football player); Jim Buckmaster (CEO of Craigslist Inc.); Charles Camarda (American engineer); Kevin Jones (Former American football player); Rob Wittman (U.S. Representative); Bill Dally (American computer scientist); Collette Wolfe (American actress); Steven Mollenkopf (Chief Executive of Qualcomm).


City Life

Raleigh, NC, offers a lot work opportunities in high-tech firms or start-ups offering jobs in technical, medical, and other careers. The variety of food and the delicacies offered is extraordinary and delicious. Apart from this, the city offers cheap accommodation, buzzing nightlife, mountains & beaches getaway, and more. The unemployment rate in May 2020 is 11.5%.


Blacksburg- incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia; Blacksburg has about 43,000 residents and is located in the New River Valley, which is Virginia’s fastest growing region west of Richmond. The city and region get high marks from outdoor enthusiasts and were named the No. 3 new tech hub by Axios. Although there’s always something happening at Virginia Tech, sometimes it’s nice to get off campus and into the outdoors. Southwest Virginia offers great hiking and biking, scenic lakes and drives, and all kinds of festivals. Famous attractions- Armory Art Gallery, Caboose Park, Kent Square, Hahn Horticulture Garden and Lyric Theatre; Annual town events include the International Street Fair and Parade, Steppin’ Out (town’s first annual street festival); Unemployment rate: 3% (Dec 2022).


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