With steady growth and strong retention, NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is celebrating record student enrollment for the second year in a row.
For the fall 2025 semester, CALS welcomed 756 first-year students, bringing total enrollment for the college to 4,471 — the most ever. That’s up 5% from 4,248 in the fall of 2024 and a 21% increase from 10 years ago, when enrollment was at 3,688 in 2015.
Since 2023, CALS has seen a nearly 28% increase in enrollment of first-year students and enrollment in the Agricultural Institute, the college’s two-year associate’s degree program, has grown by more than 120 students since 2022, reaching 334 students for the fall 2025 semester.
While animal science is consistently the college’s largest undergraduate program — with more than 830 students — agricultural business management has grown by 55% since 2020 to reach a total of 538 students this fall.
David Crouse, associate dean and director of CALS Academic Programs, credits the college’s consistent rise in enrollment to its student-centered approach and personalized support, which includes everything from financial aid and scholarship counseling to strategic academic advising and community-building activities held throughout the academic year.
“We work hard to get students from admitted to committed,” Crouse says.
CALS’ newest students hail from across North Carolina, around the country and throughout the world. They want to cultivate careers in innovative science, agricultural education, veterinary medicine and precision agriculture, among many others.
Meet three first-year students who are aiming to grow their futures with CALS.
Reece Hunter
Major: Agricultural business management
Hometown: Hampstead, North Carolina
Why you chose CALS: I chose NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences because it offers the close-knit environment of a small college while providing the expansive resources of a major research university.
Why you chose your major: I opted for agricultural business management because it marries two interests of mine — agriculture and business — even though my background in agriculture isn’t extensive.
What you’re looking forward to: I’m excited about the wide range of opportunities at CALS and NC State and am eager to see how far I can grow.
Carmela Rossi
Major: Agricultural education with a horticultural science concentration
Hometown: Wake Forest, North Carolina
Why you chose CALS: I chose CALS at NC State because it felt like a place where I could actually get my hands dirty and learn what agriculture really looks like. Everyone I met there was passionate and down-to-earth, which made it feel like somewhere I’d belong. Plus, it gives me the tools I need to become the kind of ag teacher who can make a difference.
Why you chose your major: I chose agricultural education because I want to make a difference within my community by teaching children the importance of where their food comes from. I want to be the light that my advisors were for me towards new students in my classroom.
What you’re looking forward to: I’m looking forward to all the new networking opportunities that will be given to me as well as making a new community within CALS at NC State!
Bailey Lentz
Major: Poultry science
Hometown: Kenly, North Carolina
Why you chose CALS: I attended four summer camps through CALS. I have always loved agriculture and the critical role of keeping everyone fed, and the ongoing technology. My family and I own a farm that has been in the family since 1775. My biggest joy has always been in the spring when the growing season comes. The appreciation for raising our food and providing for the family came with hard work, which made me who I am today. I felt the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was the only choice for me.
Why you chose your major: The choice to go into poultry science came after I attended Poultry Science Summer Immersion through CALS. I was originally not interested in poultry, but my dad works at Butterball and highly encouraged me to go. After that week, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. I learned so much and met so many great people. After that camp at NC State and meeting faculty in the Prestage Department of Poultry Science, I realized that it felt like home.
What you’re looking forward to: I can’t wait to meet new people and learn from the best staff at any school that teaches agriculture. The opportunities and possibilities are endless. Everyone I have met has been so welcoming and wants to always be there to help in any way possible. To continue my knowledge under them makes me look forward to a bright future.
