Just to add to the conversation, NC State has a pretty good running club if you're interested in running for fun. Also, I don't think undergrad really matters that much unless you're going to the really big name schools and then quitting. You can always upgrade for grad school . I ended up staying at State for my PhD but could've gone elsewhere. So I would choose the one where you end up with less/no debt. Also you probably want to consider the weather, life, etc. Looking at school prestige for undergrad is very much overrated. Your focus needs to be on learning your stuff, figuring out what you want to do, and most importantly networking. Most people are successful because of who they know in combo with what they do.