You can now apply to NC State for fall 2027.

Learn more about our review process and what it takes to be a competitive applicant by registering for an in-person or virtual admission information session and reading the updates below.

Early Action Decision Timeline for North Carolina Residents

For the fall 2027 application cycle, NC State plans to release Early Action admission decisions for North Carolina residents by the end of December.

To qualify for this earlier notification, students must:

• Submit their Early Action application by November 1.
• Have a complete application on file with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by November 10.
• Be confirmed as a North Carolina resident through the Residency Determination Service (RDS) by November 10. Students can provide their Residency Classification Number (RCN) on their application or add it later through their wolfPAW portal by the deadline.

All other Early Action applicants who have a complete application on file by November 10 will receive an admission decision by January 31.

Application Review

Selecting a First and Second Choice Program

We strongly recommend that students select first and second choice academic programs that genuinely interest them. While many students are admitted to their first-choice program, some are offered admission to their second choice. If you are admitted to your second choice, you will want to be sure it’s one you are excited to pursue.

Not sure where to start? Focus 2 Apply helps you explore how your strengths and interests align with different NC State majors and future career paths. Take the career assessment at go.ncsu.edu/focus2apply.

Math Preparation for First-Year Applicants

To prepare for the academic rigor of college-level courses, we strongly recommend that all high school students take pre-calculus. To be a competitive applicant for a STEM or business-related program, pre-calculus is the minimum requirement. To ensure you are fully prepared for the advanced math coursework you will encounter in these fields, we will expect you to continue progressing in math each year and take calculus if it is available to you.

Test Score Policy for 2027 Applicants

First-year students applying for spring or fall 2027 with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above (a B- average) are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. You will have the option to indicate on your Common App or Coalition on Scoir application if you would like your scores used in our review process. In these cases, test scores will only be used to enhance your application. Not submitting scores will not negatively affect your application in any way. 

First-year students applying with a weighted GPA below 2.8 will be required to submit an SAT or ACT score.

Change to Minimum Course Requirements

The UNC System updated minimum course requirements for students applying for admission starting in the fall of 2024. High school students are no longer required to have completed two years of a world language. While taking a world language is no longer an admissions requirement, we strongly encourage students to continue to take two years of a world language in high school. For many students, completing two years of a world language in high school will help them meet foreign language proficiency.

Application Highlights

Updates on Academic Offerings

• First Year Program Updates 
  • First-year programs provide incoming students with interests in broad multi-disciplinary areas, like engineering, the environment and life sciences, with academic support and interdisciplinary opportunities. For majors including Biological Sciences, Biology, Zoology, Genetics and Microbiology, incoming students can choose one of two first-year programs based on their interests. The Life Sciences First Year (LSFY) program provides a common curriculum for students to explore life science majors before committing to one discipline. The Environmental First Year (ENVFY) program provides a broad introduction to interdisciplinary problem-solving related to grand challenges in the environment and sustainability. Consider your interests (e.g. if you are interested in animals and saving the environment, you might consider ENVFY) and the best “fit” for you (e.g. if you are interested in lab research and studying organisms to learn more about life, you might consider LSFY) when deciding between the two programs.
• Exploratory Studies Eligibility
  • Exploratory Studies is a first-year program designed for students who want to explore academic and career options before selecting a major. If you expect to enroll at NC State with significant college credit (generally 30 or more credits or more than 10 completed college courses), including a combination of dual enrollment, AP, IB or other college-level credit, you generally will not be eligible for Exploratory Studies. Instead, we encourage you to begin exploring potential majors before you apply using resources like Focus 2 Apply and our transfer guides.
• Art + Design Becomes Media Arts, Design and Technology
  • Beginning with the 2027 application cycle, the Art + Design major will be renamed Media Arts, Design and Technology. While the curriculum remains the same, the new name better reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the evolving fields it prepares students to enter.

University Honors Program Consideration

First-year applicants who apply to NC State by the November 1 Early Action deadline may also apply directly to the University Honors Program (UHP) as part of their application. The program enriches the educational experience of a group of academically motivated and intellectually curious students from all communities, providing them with a platform for achieving their unique potential. To graduate from the program, students complete 12 credit hours of honors coursework, engage in three high-impact experiences and a digital portfolio.

You will be asked to respond to the prompt below in no more than 600 words. As you write your response, you are encouraged to include any settings that have been part of your high school or secondary school journey – school, community, work, family, etc.

Think about a time when your curiosity led you to not just learn, but to act. How did you learn more, and what tangible steps did you take as a result of what you learned? What insights about yourself, others, or the world did you take away from this process of learning and doing?

This essay prompt is also part of the application for NC State’s Park Scholarships Program. You are welcome to reuse or adapt your essays. Please note the Park Scholarships Program requires a separate application. Additional details are available at park.ncsu.edu.

Choose NC

When completing your first-year application, you will have the opportunity to opt in to the Choose NC Program. If we aren’t able to offer you admission, the Choose NC program provides a streamlined way for you to automatically apply to other universities within the University of North Carolina (UNC) System.

By opting in to Choose NC, if you are not admitted to NC State, your application will automatically be sent to the College Foundation, Inc. (the UNC System’s technology partner) who will forward it to the schools you selected on your NC State application. Those schools will then contact you directly. Participating in Choose NC will not affect your NC State application.

While Choose NC can be a helpful option as you plan for college, there are some important timing considerations to keep in mind. Because applications are only shared after a denied admission decision, applicants who are placed on the waitlist or denied later in the admissions cycle may have limited opportunities for their application to be forwarded to participating UNC System universities. If you already plan to apply to any Choose NC participating schools, we encourage you to apply to them directly early in the application cycle to help keep your options open and ensure consideration for opportunities like honors programs or scholarships.