NC State received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University Award through the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in 2014. NC State was singled out for the “Place” award, given in recognition of “its reinvention of the very notion of what a research park should be.” Judges praised the university for “creating a self-sustained city” on Centennial Campus.

In 2019, NC State won the IEP Economic Engagement Connections award, the top prize in the IEP awards competition, recognizing overall excellence. “We applaud the winners of this year’s APLU Innovation & Economic Prosperity University Awards,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. “They stand out as excellent examples of how public universities are addressing their communities’ needs and advancing regional economic development.”