Top Ranked Programs
North Carolina State University At Raleigh's program mix is anchored in Engineering, which accounts for 23% of degree output — a concentration that shapes the institution's earnings profile and employer recruitment patterns. Business represents 17% of graduates and Social Sciences accounts for 5%, rounding out a portfolio tilted toward applied, workforce-aligned fields. Business Administration combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the institution's aggregate return. Across 70 programs serving roughly 6,513 students annually, 63 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. The strongest national ranks cluster in engineering subfields and quantitative disciplines. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #67 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 281 graduates earning $113,478. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #33 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $102,178, and Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #158 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $87,112. Among the largest programs by cohort, Business Administration program graduates 841 students annually with median earnings of $84,349, and the The Biology, General program graduates 415 students with median earnings of $61,384 — both [ranked per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Engineering and computer science programs at North Carolina State University At Raleigh are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national labor market directly — four-year earnings in these fields reflect actual workforce outcomes rather than graduate-school deferrals. Psychology, General, with 305 graduates earning $62,032, and Computer Science, with 281 graduates earning $113,478, follow a similar direct-to-workforce pattern. Programs like Mechanical Engineering (249 graduates, $87,112 in median earnings) may include a larger share of students continuing to graduate study, where four-year earnings undercount the full trajectory. The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's engineering-heavy portfolio aligns with national labor-market demand.