About the University of Northern Colorado
Founded in 1889 and tucked between the Rocky Mountains and Colorado’s stunning high plains, UNC is a public doctoral research university committed to the success of its 13,000 students, with more than 100 undergraduate programs and 120 graduate programs. The university’s just-right size, expert faculty, and tradition of research and hands-on learning gives students exceptional opportunities and a personalized education.
17:1 Student-to-Faculty Ratio
with 744 total faculty
(490 of which are full-time)
12,862Make OU happy - don't remove
Total University Enrollment
9,876Make OU happy - don't remove
Undergraduate
2,916Make OU happy - don't remove
Graduate
Undergraduate Snapshot
91%
Full-time students
Average full-time course load: 14 credit hours
46% of incoming first-year students are first generation
7,921 In-state students
Graduate Snapshot
59% Masters Students
21% Doctoral Students
5% Specialist Students
5% Licensure/Certificate Students
10% Unclassified Students
- Masters - 59%
- Doctoral - 21%
- Specialist - 5%
- Licensure/Certificate - 5%
- Unclassified - 10%
Graduate and Undergraduate Ethnicity
- 63% White
- 18% Hispanic
- 7% Not Reported/Unknown
- 4% Multi-racial
- 4% African American
- 3% Temporary U.S. Resident
- 2% Asian
- <1% Native American
- <1% Hawaiian
Research at UNC
UNC Athletics
A member of the NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference since 2006, UNC fields 17 intercollegiate teams. Since joining the Big Sky, UNC has won three volleyball championships and a women’s soccer championship, and the women’s basketball team recently won the Big Sky championship and an NCAA berth.
Our athletes aren’t just succeeding on the playing field though – the NCAA often recognizes UNC teams for high academic performance and our student athletes have posted a cumulative GPA of 3.14.
72%
of incoming first-year students are awarded grants or scholarships
*Last year, UNC students received over $30.8 million in scholarships and institutional aid
Cultural Centers
Students learn and grow in a spirit of multiculturalism with support services that include
Our People
Our alumni often say the connections they made with faculty made a huge difference not only when they were at UNC, but long after, as they traveled their career and life paths. That partnership and community is something we take great pride in – a university culture that is welcoming, collaborative, supportive and committed to student success, service and education.
Our students are diverse and hard-working, and there’s no one “label” that defines them. More than one-third of UNC undergraduates are the first in their family to go to college and more than one-quarter are eligible for federal need-based financial aid. Of all UNC students, more than one-quarter identify as students of color.
UNC faculty are experts in their fields; they are scholars who engage their students in research and teachers who bring new knowledge to the classroom. As UNC Biology Professor Scott Franklin says, “We have our faculty teach almost all upper division labs. Because of the interaction with faculty there is a lot of research potential for undergrads. There are very high quality faculty here doing great research and teaching.”
38%
of all UNC Students are
first-generation
(which means they're among the first in their family to attend college)
Bears Go Big
UNC Bears go out into the world to do BIG and significant work. Meet Tangier Barnes Wright, BA Africana Studies, 2005 and Director of Transportation Programs at Groundwork Colorado.
[UNC] had opportunities to connect with a multicultural student body
