The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at NC State is globally recognized for the quality of our teaching. We grow professional leaders and prepare students for graduate research. Whatever career they choose, our students go on to confront grand challenges.

Our doors are open to undergraduates of every background: We understand that hands-on experience — through NC State programs, 4-H, FFA or a farming background — can be a strong indicator of student success. In 2016, we accepted 44% of all applicants, and 40% of those came from rural North Carolina.

Did you know there’s more than one way to get into CALS? Initiatives like STEAM and ASPIRE, our Community College Partnership Program or NC State’s Agricultural Institute (AGI) offer many potential paths to a world-class agriculture and life sciences education.

CALS graduates are in high demand: USDA forecasts that the agriculture and food industries need 57,900 new graduates a year; the nation’s agricultural colleges currently produce only 35,400. In North Carolina alone, we’re looking for 1,100 more students in our four-year degree programs and 90 more in our two-year Agricultural Institute degree programs.

95% of CALS students with high-need degrees graduate with jobs that pay much more than the state’s median income. And you don’t need to have a farm to pursue a career in the field: More than 85% of food and fiber industry jobs are in business management; agricultural education, communication or policy; or related STEM occupations.

At NC State, you can earn your degree virtually debt-free. In a 2016 PayScale ranking, the university is No. 1 among North Carolina’s public universities with a $499,000 return on investment over 20 years. That climbs to $537,000 with financial aid — and we award more than $1 million in undergraduate scholarships each year.