r/NCSU • u/user383832 • 15h ago
Admissions Is NC State better than UNC?
So I’m almost 20 and want to start taking college seriously, and I was looking at UNC as one of my options because it’s much closer than NC State (I’m in Hillsborough) But after walking on Franklin street, I’m not sure if it’s worth it anymore. It was honestly pretty overwhelming and I didn’t really feel as safe as a woman there with the homeless people. Not trying to judge homeless people, but some of them are not mentally well and I had one guy just yelling violent stuff as I walked by. The old buildings are beautiful but I don’t know if it’s really worth that. What is NC State like in comparison to UNC? I was already looking at NC State because I was looking into engineering, but I want to make sure it’s worth it. How are the dorms/apartments, how is the social life, and is there anything they do better than UNC?
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u/Austen11231923 Alum and Current Graduate Student 14h ago
Depends on the program
Life sciences? For medicine/biology, UNC. For biochemistry, microbiology, or genetics, NC State. For chemistry? UNC
Humanities/business? UNC
Engineering? NC State
Both are great schools and you'll get a good education at either. NC State is a wonderful community with tons of school spirit
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u/HappygilmoreL 5h ago
I also liked the math and statistics programs at NCSU, in addition to computer science
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u/CamoTitanic 15h ago
You’ll still encounter homeless people on hillsborough street and near the edges of campus, but I’ve never felt terribly unsafe on campus itself. I’ve enjoyed the social life, there’s lots to do and being in Raleigh itself is a big win because I can just go in the city to do stuff for fun
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u/Totallyunreal_141 15h ago
From my experience? I’d pick NC State for my own benefit simply because 1. CS and engineering in general EXCELS here and 2. It comes with a lot of future benefits (job opportunities, networking, etc.) and you constantly have help available to you
As far as the dorms, SOME hall style dorms aren’t as bad as others, and I’ve heard mixed opinions regarding suite-style like Lee. People are (mostly) considerate of keeping the bathrooms decent but obviously it isn’t spotless.
The social life REALLY depends. A lot of people have basic manners from my own experience, but you will run into some rude people every now and then. A lot of people around here also have a friend group already, but also don’t be afraid to randomly walk up to people and strike up a conversation, its how I met some of my own friends! Event wise, there’s usually a lot of interaction. You get emails almost daily about different things happening around campus and in your department.
My advice is really do a deep dive on past forums here, compare statistics around your major, and take into consideration of your financial position for both!! :)
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u/Important-Ask894 10h ago
I got my B.A. at UNC Chapel Hill, and I'm now coming to NCSU for my next degree. I had a really rough time deciding between UNC and NCSU when I was in 12th grade, and I ended up picking UNC at the very last minute. I loved my classes at UNC, made some great friends, and I met my husband there, so I don't have any regrets. Still... I think I might have been happier during my college days had I picked to go to NCSU for undergrad. UNC always felt very ivory-tower. In a lot of ways, it was nice to pick up the cultural capital that came with going to a school like UNC, but I never really felt like I fully fit in. I was from the country and was from a working-to-lower-middle-class family, and UNC was very much an upper-middle-class-and-up school. NCSU still has plenty of prestige, but it feels much more down to earth, and I think I would have enjoyed my time in college more had I gone there instead of UNC. Also, if you're thinking of going into engineering, then NCSU is definitely the better option, just for that reason.
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u/Important-Ask894 10h ago
Oh yeah, I'll add that another thing I did really like about UNC was that their degrees were set up such that you have some time to decide what you're going to major in. I needed that because I took until my second semester of my sophomore year to decide on the majors I graduated with. I think the majors at NCSU are much more strict in how they build off of each other, without giving students as much time to decide what you want to graduate with, so I think that's something worth considering.
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u/HappygilmoreL 5h ago
Yes I’ll admit I do consider this a negative of NCSU :( even though I loved it there overall. Although honestly the first year is still pretty flexible.
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u/Gullible_Ability_241 9h ago
I agree with this 100%. I transferred to UNC from App State for undergrad and now i’m at State for my graduate studies. UNC is way too uppity and I had a hard time making friends with my peers. App state has definitely been the best school I went to, I just didn’t like Boone. The professors at UNC, in my experience, are too focused on research and don’t care about the students because they are forced to teach. I already like my professors and the smaller classes at NC State more. I do like Franklin St. way more than hillsborough st and LOVED living in Chapel Hill
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u/Important-Ask894 8h ago
Yeah, I really loved Chapel Hill too. It's just such a pretty area. The parking is atrocious though haha. I've heard parking is rough in Boone too though. Raleigh at least was built to handle the traffic. That's definitely a big plus for Raleigh, tbh.
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u/HappygilmoreL 5h ago
I actually agree with this, I have felt that NCSU felt more down to earth, too!
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u/MiketheTzar 13h ago
Better is subjective and highly dependent on your wants, needs, goals, and limits.
Both UNC and State have their small populations of homeless folks around. Really every urban college campus is going to have them.
If you want to get into engineering then State consistently ranks in the top 2 of pretty much every speciality of engineering (Duke beats them in a few and UNC beats them in some biomedical stuff)
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u/Maria_Dragon 14h ago
There are also homeless people in Raleigh. I am a woman and have not been attacked/mugged either place.
If you are interested in engineering, NCSU is better.
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u/runningraleigh Alumnus 2006 12h ago
Perhaps neither is right for you. If urban life doesn't suit you, maybe you'd like Elon? Not too far from you and definitely not a city vibe.
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u/jusrx 13h ago edited 13h ago
Of course, go to the school that offers the best opportunity for you but outside of that if you’re looking for something close to culture & tradition NC State all day But if you want a more racist and that type of environment go to UNC and anyone who know what I’m talking about knows what I’m talking about
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u/Select_Excuse_150 14h ago
This post just reminded me of the guy who asked to use my phone on Hillsborough Street every day for like 3 years. Good times
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u/Suitable-Plankton595 12h ago
These colleges were our top two choices as well and my child chose NC State for engineering. Absolutely loves it and mostly loves that they can walk to everything and there's so much to do both on campus and around town! The dorms are random and all different. Depends where you get placed. We found the engineering programs, labs and classes fairly compairable but ultimately fell in love with Raleigh. So that settled it! Good luck to you. 😊
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u/stefunkyy 10h ago
I agree with everyone saying go where you will get the most out of your degree choice and that homelessness is still an issue in Raleigh (though small on/around campus) but tbh I think Chapel Hill feels isolated compared to Raleigh. I like being in Raleigh because it’s bigger with more access to fun things to do and more people to meet
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u/HappygilmoreL 5h ago
Yes I agree, I also think classmates are more likely to leave Chapel Hill, NC than leave Raleigh after graduation
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u/Ohiocarolina 10h ago edited 10h ago
Academically, NC State goes so far out of its way to differentiate itself academically in terms of not just major offerings but what those various departments specialize in that if UNC offers exactly what you want, odds are you’re better off at ECU or UNCC than here and vice versa. Like non-prehealth biology majors, particularly those aiming for an industry role post graduation are often better off here, despite UNC having the stronger program overall. The exception being CS we’re better unless your plans also involve the connections of the UNC business school
Franklin street is not that different and just about every other urban or suburban campus will have experiences like that to a degree unless you attend freaking High Point. Environment playing some role is fine, but if it’s an actual concern you want a more rural SLAC like UNCA, not UNC. UNCA does have a dedicated transfer system with the college of engineering
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u/HappygilmoreL 5h ago
I think NC State is great if: A) the overall vibe clicks with you better, and B) if you are interested in going into one of the fields they do well (Computer science, math, engineering). You might possibly feel a little disappointed if you go into a field that isn’t one of their main strengths (STEM - this is not only engineering, IMO). I knew one student who did a computer science class at UNC, and they didn’t seem to really go as in depth with hands on programming as the beginner computer science classes at NCSU. I know UNC has had brilliant graduates in computer science too, though. My impression is that the NCSU curriculum is a little more applied. However, of course I’m biased and picked great professors to take courses from.
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u/runtasticduo 11h ago
UNC has a way nicer, old feeling campus. NC State not as much. More to do in Raleigh.
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u/Reasonable-Phone-837 Business Administration ‘28 6h ago
imo after touring in high school unc was way older and didn’t feel worth the money, but i do want a mba from there so i can’t say much lmao
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u/ConnectSpring9 6m ago
Which type of engineering? If it’s not BME or CS then the answer is almost certainly go to NC State, seeing as UNC doesn’t have a college of engineering. Full disclosure I say that as a recent Chem E graduate of State
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u/joshthewumba 15h ago
I would advise you to go to the school that that best fits your major or field of study. Both UNC and NC State are wonderful, well respected universities. First, apply to both, see how the financials work out, and then go from there. Hillsborough St isn't going to be any different than Franklin St and your social life will be what you make it. That being said, if you want to do engineering, NC State is a better fit
I loved my time at NC State and I love Raleigh, but you should do what you need to do to succeed.