CALS Celebrates Third Year of Record Enrollment
NC State Home | CALS Home
- Research and Innovation
- Economic Perspective
- International
- Extension
- Hurricane Helene Resources
- Homegrown
- Faculty and Staff
- Honors and Awards
- Alumni and Friends
- Gifts and Awards
- Life at CALS
- Students
- Events
- Community
- Magazine
- Fall 2025 Issue
- Archive
CALS Celebrates Third Year of Record Enrollment
September 30, 2026
Amanda Kerr
4-min. read
First-year CALS students participating in the seminar course ALS 103: First Year Success in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Through continued focus on recruitment and retention, workforce development, and high-impact experiences, NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is celebrating record student enrollment for the third year in a row.
For the fall 2026 semester, CALS welcomed 777 new students, bringing the college’s total enrollment to 4,538—the most ever. That’s up from 4,470 students last fall and 4,248 in 2024. Since 2021, the college’s enrollment has increased nearly 18%.
While animal science and agricultural business management remain the college’s largest undergraduate programs (with 836 and 530 students, respectively), undergraduate enrollment in biological and agricultural engineering technology has increased by 57% since 2023, reaching a total of 148 undergraduate students this fall. And undergraduate enrollment in biochemistry has grown by 33% in that same time frame, rising to 437 students this fall.
David Crouse, associate dean and director of CALS Academic Programs, attributes the college’s continued enrollment growth to its student-centered approach and personalized support, including financial aid and scholarship counseling, strategic outreach, and academic advising.
"Across the college and departments, we are committed to meeting our students and their families where they are, providing resources and support, and creating a welcoming environment with community-building activities and mentorship," Crouse says.
Through integrated student advising, CALS offers a tiered system of support for students, with department-level academic advising for guidance, planning, and course selection, followed by a clear pathway to college-level resources such as career services and peer mentorship programs.
"We are embracing a layered support approach that starts closest to the student to build an integrated system for student success," Crouse says.
CALS’ newest students hail from across North Carolina, around the country, and throughout the world. Meet four first-year students primed to grow their futures with CALS.
Lillie Inge
Major: Poultry Science
Hometown: Holly Springs, North Carolina
Why you chose CALS:
I chose CALS because the hands-on experience of the program, paired with the kindness of all the members, creates a space that feels like home. From a young age, I knew I wanted to make a change in my world, whether that’s being the only child in town or speaking up for animals.