Get to Know the University of Northern Colorado

Student-focused. Service-oriented. Approachable. Driven. Nestled between the Rocky Mountains and Colorado’s stunning high plains, the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public, doctoral research and educational institution that is home to about 9,000 students and more than 200 undergraduate and graduate programs, many of which are nationally recognized.

Founded as a teacher’s college in 1889, we graduated generations of educators, more than any other Colorado university. Our culture is marked by academic excellence in education, health sciences, business, the humanities and performing and visual arts.

UNC is committed to supporting our students and providing them with a high-quality education, hands-on experiences and a community where they can thrive. We are a welcoming, inclusive campus and proud to be Colorado’s newest Hispanic Serving Institution. UNC is more than a place to earn a degree. It’s a place where students build meaningful connections that last a lifetime. 

Our community says everything about who we are.

Recognized as a top university for social mobility, UNC is proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution and to serve more than 42% of our undergraduates who are the first in their family to attend college. The university’s just-right size, expert faculty, and tradition of research and hands-on learning gives students exceptional opportunities and a personalized education.

Once a bear, always a bear. UNC graduates join a strong network of over 140,000 alumni living and working in 50 states and 90 countries who help build communities that save and transform lives. 

Accreditation

UNC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1916. The HLC is an institutional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education and is one of seven regional accrediting bodies in the country.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the grounds upon which our university stands are inextricably tied to the history and culture of indigenous peoples. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future, and to those who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. The University of Northern Colorado occupies the lands in the territories of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota peoples. Further, we acknowledge the 48 tribes that are historically tied to the state of Colorado. We challenge ourselves to be better stewards of the land we inhabit, as well as learn the stories and practices of Indigenous people’s history and culture.