North Carolina State University (NC State) was founded in 1887 with the purpose of creating economic, societal, and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. Today it is the largest university in North Carolina with more than 36,000 high-performing students, over 9,600 preeminent faculty and staff, and 250,000 alumni. NC State is known for its leadership in research, education, and service and, as a research-intensive university, is recognized for its strengths in science, engineering, and technology. The University consistently ranks among the top public national universities and one of the best values in higher education.