The Triangle is a region founded on
education. From its inception, the Research Triangle Park has been a
collaboration of three nationally acclaimed universities - Duke University, the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
These universities, which constitute the three points of the Triangle, can
satisfy virtually any educational appetite.
If that's not enough, the area's smaller
universities and colleges complete an educational matrix that isn't easily
paralleled. So if you're looking for an institute of higher learning, you've
come to the right place.
North
Carolina State University in Raleigh is the state's largest college. More than
29,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend this state-supported
university, which has its roots in agriculture and engineering. Over the years,
N.C. State has emerged as a national center for research, teaching and extension
in the sciences and technologies.
The university also has strong humanities
and social sciences offerings and professional programs. The school's
undergraduate and graduate programs in design, education, psychology, forestry,
management and textiles have received national recognition. N.C. State has a
highly regarded school of veterinary medicine; the university also was the first
school in the country to build and operate a nuclear reactor on campus for
educational purposes.
Duke
University in Durham is our state’s version of the Ivy League. Founded in 1924
by James Buchanan Duke, Duke University is consistently ranked as one of the top
research universities in the nation. As a result, this private university --
affiliated with the Methodist church and supporting more than 6,200
undergraduate and 5,700 graduate and professional students – has become
synonymous with research achievements and academic excellence.
Among the university's diverse curricula are
the schools of law, medicine, nursing and engineering, as well as the renowned
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, the Nicholas School of the Environment and
the Divinity School. Duke's Fuqua School of Business is perennially ranked as
one of the top business schools in the country, and the Duke University Medical
Center and Health System is one of the leading teaching hospitals in the
country. The 1,235-bed hospital is also a major Southeastern center for medical
care and has earned international fame.
For more than 200 years, the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill has stood as a beacon of higher learning. When its
doors opened in 1795, UNC became the nation's first state university. Today, UNC
is considered one of the best educational values in America, as recognized by
national publications such as Money magazine and U.S. News & World Report.
At the root of
UNC's accolades are its academic programs, which include 16 colleges and schools
representing more than 100 fields. UNC offers 69 bachelor's, 111 master's and 75
doctoral programs to its more than 26,000 students. The university also offers
professional degrees in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and law.
The Triangle also boasts a collection of smaller universities and colleges.
North Carolina Central University in Durham and Shaw University in downtown
Raleigh are historically black schools that offer an array of liberal arts
offerings. NCCU is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina
system, while Shaw is a private university.
St. Augustine's College in Raleigh is a
private, historically black liberal arts school for men and women.
Also in Raleigh is Peace College, an
independent liberal arts college for women that offers two- and four-year
degrees. Meredith College in Raleigh is the
largest private, four-year college for women in the Southeast. Educational
opportunities also exist for students in surrounding Triangle communities.
Barton College, in Wilson, is known for its school of business and its nursing
program, which is ranked among the best in the state. Campbell University, in
Buies Creek, offers a liberal arts core and pre-professional programs including
pre-law, pre-pharmacy, pre-medical/dental, pre-seminary and pre-engineering.
Louisburg College is designed specifically for working adults seeking associate degrees during nontraditional hours. N.C. Wesleyan, a liberal arts college in Rocky Mount that offers a number of bachelor's degrees, also offers evening programs in Raleigh, Durham and Goldsboro. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest is on a campus once used by Wake Forest University, now in Winston-Salem.
Other excellent resources for students seeking to further their education, either through college curriculum courses, continuing education or special training, are the Triangle's many technical and community colleges. They include Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, Durham Technical Community College and Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson.