Student (Anonymous)
Reviewed on Oct 8, 2025(Enrolled 2024)What Students Say
Likes
- Amazing campus- especially the 5-storeyed gymnasium
- 24*7 access to libraries- amazing libraries
- Hundreds of events going on campus every single day throughout each semester
Dislikes
- CS students are not allowed full-time co-ops
- Cost of education (tuition fee) is extremely high
- Extreme and random weather in Raleigh
Course Curriculum
8
- Majorly theoretical. But it depends on what courses you take. Difficulty is medium to hard if you take medium to heavy courses.
- Positive aspects of some courses – lots of hands-on projects and workshops.
- Negative aspects of some courses – mandatory attendance and a very strict grading system. Every course is of 3 credits and is conducted on 2 days of the week, 1 hr 15 mins each class.
- Average number of students depends on the course and can range anywhere between 180 and as low as 8
Admission Experience
-
I applied for the following universities:
- University of California San Diego (rejected, too ambitious)
- University of Florida, Gainesville (rejected, no clue why – maybe small batch size)
- Northeastern University (received admit, but not for Boston – reason: applied late)
- North Carolina State University (admitted)
- San Jose State University (admitted)
- Arizona State University (admitted)
- State University of New York-Buffalo (admitted)
- Indiana University Bloomington (admitted)
- University of Texas at Dallas (admitted)
- University of Maryland Baltimore County (admitted)
- It was a no-brainer. NC State was my top choice after UCSD's rejection. The cost of living here is low. It is a great university overall with top-notch facilities, amenities and support. Admission process and eligibility – SOP, 3 LORs, transcripts, GRE and TOEFL scores (usually the quant score should be 165+). Smooth admission process, no challenges as such.
- Fall 2024 intake. Admission process was quite quick – I applied in December, got admitted in late February, finalised NC State at the start of April, paid $500 to reserve my admission and then the complete fees in August.
Faculty
8
- Again, it depends on the course. 1:180 or 1:8. Ratio does not influence largely, since big classes have lots of TAs and are well organised. Teaching methodology is well-planned and structured. Professors rarely "assist" in finding jobs.
- Best faculty members – Steffen Heber, Laurie Williams, Min Chi, Brad Reaves, etc.
Campus Life
10
- 5- North campus, South Campus, Main Campus, Centennial Campus, Central Campus
- Facilities: 3 libraries (2 super huge). 5-storey gymnasium. 2 campus health centres (medical).
- Major clubs – Maitri (Indian student organisation), Hindu YUVA, Bhakti Yoga Club, ACM, IEEE, SWE, etc. Festivals – all (Ganpati, Diwali, Dussehra, Holi, etc.). Sports – you can participate, learn, practise and train for any and every sport that you like and represent NC State.
Part Time Jobs
- It is not super common for students to find paid TA positions, unless you are a real early bird and send out hundreds of cold emails. Same for RA – but RAs are more demanding. Pay range is $20-27 an hour. Other on-campus jobs are in dining, libraries, student housing, and other desk jobs or facilities assistant roles. Range is mostly around $11 an hour but can go up to 15-16 an hour also. Maximum 20 hours per week, but they don't allow more than 16 hrs/week. Dining jobs are really easy to find and are open round the clock – you just need to fit them in according to your schedule
- Most of them work in dining or desk jobs. Some of them do TAs or RAs. It is easy to get part-time employment. Not a very complicated process – fill out an online application, give a small interview just for the sake of it, sign the offer letter and get started. (you can also get your SSN once you have an offer letter). Most of them work in dining or desk jobs. Some of them do TAs or RAs. It is easy to get part-time employment. Not a very complicated process – fill out an online application, give a small interview just for the sake of it, sign the offer letter and get started. (you can also get your SSN once you have an offer letter.)
Placement
8
- About 90% secure employment – but the stats keep varying with the market. Average salary is 180-200k USD CTC. Students find jobs through cold mailing, applying online through linkedin and job boards, the NC State career fair, networking events, etc.
- Major companies include Amazon and LexisNexis for CS, Texas Instruments and Qualcomm for CE, and Cummins and Tesla for MEM.
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- Off-campus. Used whatsapp groups and communities. Maitri – the Indian Student Organization – circulates a roommate finder form through which people connect. For shared rooms, monthly rent is $350-450. For private, it is $600-750.
- Challenges – get your lease checked by NC State Legal Services.
- 10-15 mins walk from campus where most Indian students stay.
Exams
- TOEFL and GRE, SOP, 3 LORs, Transcripts and degree certificate, and resume. No interview.
Fees
- Tuition – 20K$ (there were 10-15 different mandatory components)
- Student health insurance – $2.8k
- Usually undergrads live on campus (additional fees and meal plans), grad students find off-campus housing on their own
- Fees are charged every semester.
- Estimate monthly expenses (if you want to stay in shared rooms) – $600 to $700 (including groceries, utilities, rent, etc.).
Scholarship
- No – neither me nor my batchmates. CS or CE students do not receive any scholarships. MEM students have some scholarships, and Design students have TA opportunities and lower tuition fees.
