NC State campus welcomes thousands of students, including record-breaking freshman class

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's a big weekend for college students across the Triangle as thousands return to campus, including many first-time students.

At NC State, the university is welcoming one of its largest freshman classes ever, with 6,000 new students -- a trend that has been growing.

Donna McGalliard, the associate vice chancellor and associate dean of Student Life and Advocacy at NC State, said these numbers have been "inching up" the last few years.

"Engineering North Carolina's Future is one of our initiatives... and that has continued to come in the form of bigger class sizes," she said.

More students could face more challenges, especially as the university faces federal budget cuts.

"Without the legislative support from the North Carolina General Assembly, we rely on that as a public land grant university, but we're also excited about our mission," NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell said. "When we have challenges, that means it's an opportunity for us to do things differently, but not only to do things differently, but to do things in a way that matters to the people of North Carolina."

Administrators are focused on ensuring a smooth transition for students.

"That's why you see leaders of our administration out here," Howell said. "Not many campuses do what we do at NC State because we want our students to know: 'OK, as you transition here, we want you to know that we're with you -- not only from the beginning, but on that great day when they go across the stage and graduate.'"

Move-ins continue at NC State through Saturday, while NCCU and UNC Chapel Hill are also in full swing. Duke University will begin moving in freshmen on Saturday.