A Top Educational Leadership Preparation Program in U.S.*
*Out of over 774 principal preparation programs nationally, NC State is one of only 8 programs to ever earn the distinction of being named "Exemplary" by UCEA.
Learn about our graduates' impact
How We’re Preparing Exceptional Principals
NELA was one of two Principal Preparation Programs Featured for its Innovative Program in a Recent Publication by the Hunt Institute.
NC State University’s Educational Leadership Academy (NELA) seeks to increase student achievement by preparing and retaining principals in high-poverty, hard-to-staff, and historically low-performing schools. NELA creates a comprehensive leadership development and succession plan for NC high-need school districts. Each component is anchored in research-based best practices in leadership preparation and is designed to meet the specific contextualized needs of schools in North Carolina. Our current cohorts are fully funded by the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program (NCPFP).
Our Updates
More StoriesNCSU’s online programs showed strong rankings in the US News and World Report. Five of the university’s online programs ranked in the top 10 in the country, with NELA’s MSA program making the largest leap from 15 to 6!
Nick Rotenberry, (Wolf/NELA 2025), the AP at Thanksgiving Elementary, was nominated by Johnston County to the NCPAPA Accelerated Program and accepted!
LaVonda Williams (NELA 2023) of Pinkston Street Elementary was named as 2025-26 Assistant Principal of the Year for Vance County Schools!
89% of schools with a NELA graduate serving as principal met or exceeded growth between 2018 – 2024 vs. only 74% of principals across all schools in the state reaching the same level of performance.
