A changing understanding of institutional mission at North Carolina State University since World War II has guided institutional growth from 3,000 to nearly 27,500 students, and expansion of program offerings to encompass the arts and sciences as well as technical and professional fields. In mission statements from the 1950s through today, NCSU has consistently affirmed the importance of its heritage as a land-grant university, with the distinctive land-grant commitment to teaching, research, and service. But while this core commitment remains unchanged, NCSU's mission has continued to evolve. The institution described as "a technological university" in the self-study of 1963 would in 1973 claim to be "in most respects a comprehensive university"; in 1983, "a public land-grant comprehensive university"; and in 1991, "a comprehensive Research I university in the land-grant tradition."
