<p>Whoa there big fella (or missy); who told you that NC State is simply “a decent school?” NCState is a very well regarded engineering university. Engineering at Raleigh is no joke. Certainly it’s better than Duke overall in the traditional engineering disciplines. While I would certainly heed M2CK’s recommendation and take a close look at U Alabama Tuscaloosa, you would be foolish to dismiss NCState engineering out of hand, since you are a resident of North Carolina.</p>