Soybeans are typically the state's largest acreage row crop, with 1.2 to 1.5 million acres annually. Average farm-gate value of the state's soybean crop is approximately $200 million, ranking it 3rd behind tobacco and cotton.

A significant portion of the university's research, teaching, and extension effort is devoted to soybeans, earning NCSU an international reputation as a major soybean university.