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By The Numbers

We are a globally-recognized land-grant university. An agricultural and life sciences teaching and research powerhouse. We are one of the largest Extension services in the nation. But don’t just take our word for it, look at our numbers.

NC State University

NC State is a globally recognized land-grant university.

  • Largest public university in North Carolina – 34,000+ students in 12 colleges
  • Forbes Top 20 STEM college or university in 2016
  • More than 2,000 research, teaching and Extension faculty and doctoral scholars – 23 members of national academies
  • Faculty received $349 million in research awards FY16
  • 70% of faculty are engaged in sponsored research
  • We ranked #3 in sponsored research and #7 in all research expenditures in FY15*

*NSF – FY15 Higher Education Research and Development Survey

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

CALS transforms challenges into agricultural and life sciences opportunities that benefit our state, the nation and the world.

  • CALS unique organizational structure aligns 12 departments into 4 interdisciplinary systems
  • More than 1,600 faculty and staff
  • Faculty received $114 million in sponsored programs in FY16
  • Every $1 of public funds invested in CALS agricultural research generates a $19.90 return
  • CALS Advancement raised $84 million in FY16
  • There are 18 research stations across the state and 4 field labs
  • Faculty support 22 unique centers and programs
  • CALS offers 18 undergraduate degree programs
  • More than 2,820 are enrolled as undergrads or 2-year Agricultural Institute students in 18 undergraduate degree programs
  • More than 990 grad and PhD students are enrolled in 25 graduate programs

NC State Extension

NC State Extension helps create prosperity for North Carolina through programs and partnerships focused on agriculture, food and nutrition, and 4-H youth development.

  • NC State Extension has locally-focused services in 101 local centers – we are in every county across the state and the Eastern Band of Cherokee
  • There are more than 773 faculty – 590 in county centers and 183 on NC State’s campus
  • NC State Extension conducted more than 327,900 face-to-face contacts in 2016
  • 60% of CALS research faculty have Extension appointments
  • NC State Extension work and agricultural research  in just these five crops – tobacco, sweet potatoes, cotton, blueberries and soybeans – provides a $1.67B impact to North Carolina’s economy every year
  • More than 247,000 youth participate each year in 4-H programs
  • Programs helped nearly 63,000 crop producers improved their nutrient management, conservation, production, pest management, business management and marketing
  • 48 counties provided EFNEP services to 3,551 limited-resource families
  • 2,000 participated in Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less 15-week program
  • 7,663 children and 930 adults participated in Steps to Health program
  • 1,067 regulatory and industry members certified or recertified in HACCP
  • 831 certifications were awarded in Serv Safe – which teaches cost-effective food safety practices

North Carolina Agriculture

Agriculture built North Carolina, and it remains the state’s largest economic driver.

  • NC agriculture is an $84 billion industry
    • 62.8% livestock, dairy and poultry
    • 37.2% crops
  • NC agriculture creates 685,948 jobs
  • There are more than 49,500 farms farming 8.4 million acres
  • NC is a top 10 producer in 28 commodities
    • #1 in sweet potatoes and flue-cured tobacco
    • #2 in poultry and eggs, turkeys, hogs, poinsettia, food-sized trout and Christmas trees
    • #3 in fresh market tomatoes
    • #4 in broilers, cucumbers and fresh market strawberries
    • #5 in food-sized catfish, peanuts, upland cotton, sod, sprigs and plugs, nursery crops and greenhouse floriculture
    • #6 in bell peppers, blueberries and Burley tobacco
    • #7 in snap beans and fresh market watermelons
    • #8 in apples
    • #9 in squash and grapes
    • #10 in fresh market cabbage
  • NC is a leading U.S. exporter
    • #1 in tobacco – $558 million
    • #2 in poultry – $507 million
    • #3 in pork – $605 million
    • #4 in cotton – $174 million
    • #7 in other oilseed products – $103 million
    • #10 in fresh fruits and processed fruits – $74 million and $37 million
    • #11 in hides and skins – $66 million