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Office of International Services

NC State – Your Global University

Deciding whether and where to study in the United States can be an exciting, yet difficult decision for prospective students. Perhaps now more than ever. There is no denying that the past months have presented new challenges and concerns if you’re considering coming to the United States to study. There are rhetoric and stories in the news that are likely to give potential students and their families pause. However, given the importance of this decision, it is critical that it be based on accurate information about not only the academic quality of the institution you are considering, but also about where it is situated.

While you’re considering what to do, we here in the Office of International Services (OIS) – and on behalf of our campus partners and colleges – would like to share some insights that prospective students might not always hear and tell you more about NC State University’s values. For one, you are welcome here! While there are a few loud, unpleasant examples that cannot be ignored, those negative examples do not represent the views of the vast majority of Americans – and especially not on or around the NC State University campus.

Biomedical engineering PH.D. graduate student Vindhya Kunduru in a biomedical engineering lab at EBIII. When Vindhya Kunduru moved to Raleigh, she had no idea she was going to become an expert on Salmonella, bacterial infections and chickens. Now she’s hoping to build a career on them. PHoto by Marc Hall

NC State University embraces a culture of “Think and Do” and international students are part of that culture. We take the responsibility and privilege of supporting all NC State University students seriously. As a university we are not neutral with regard to our international students – we want you to be here. We welcome international students, we embrace international students, we support international students, and we do everything we can to make NC State as much your university as it is our university.

NC State is an excellent university that supports more than 4,000 international students from more than 120 countries. International students are involved in all aspects of student life. NC State University strives to help international students feel at home and integrated into the university community through OIS programs, high-impact practices, engaged academic colleges and departments, Graduate School professional development programs, and hundreds of student-run organizations and clubs that represent the national, religious, social, academic, and recreational aspects of the entire student population. International students are not just students — they are given the opportunity to be a part of the NC State University community.

NC State University is located right in the middle of the state — just west of downtown Raleigh. To most international students, Raleigh appears more like a large town than a city. It is friendly, wooded, easy-going, and peaceful. NC State’s campus is a short distance from downtown but far enough away to be outside of the “city” center. Don’t assume from the description, however, that Raleigh isn’t sophisticated and diverse. Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham are the respective homes to NC State University, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and Duke University. Three world-class universities all located within 38 kilometers (24 miles) of each other. Together, the immediate region is called “The Research Triangle” (or The Triangle).

The Triangle is a global economic and intellectual hub and home to universities, colleges, industry, and some of the most advanced and vibrant public-private partnerships in the world. The Triangle attracts hundreds of innovative companies and start-ups and is home to many top-employers. Each year, several hundred of NC State’s international students co-op with these companies and other top employers throughout the U.S. and many go on to work for them after they graduate. Some of the world’s best and brightest come to study, work, and live in this part of North Carolina. As a result the Triangle is home to a diverse, global, educated, and progressive population.

Raleigh is small but sophisticated. It’s a southern U.S. city that is friendly and hospitable, but that has and values a rich cultural diversity thanks largely to the immigrants from elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world who come to call Raleigh home. NC State and Raleigh are exceptional places to be an international student. And you are very welcome here, and we look forward to you joining our community of students and scholars!