The University of Nebraska–Lincoln

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), chartered on February 15, 1869, is an educational institution of international stature. The university is classified within the Carnegie R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest Research Activity category and is a member of the the Big Ten Academic Alliance. It is a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). UNL is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The university has a bold strategic plan that builds on our proud tradition of innovation, excellence and ambition. Illustrating the focus on impact, the tag line for the N2025 strategic plan is “where every person and every interaction matters.”

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln was one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees—the first was granted in 1896. UNL established the world’s first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today’s Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world’s most significant collections of 20th century American art. Today, Nebraska is one of the nation’s leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities.

UNL is made up of nine colleges with faculty, students, and staff providing exceptional breadth and depth of opportunity in the sciences, liberal arts, and professional disciplines. With over 25,000 students, the university’s enrollment is growing and becoming more diverse. In fall 2020, for the 16th straight year, UNL made U.S. News & World Report’s annual evaluation of America’s Best Colleges’ list of Public National Universities, placing it among the top one-fourth of all public universities. UNL is ranked near the top third of all national universities both public and private. The university has approximately doubled its research expenditures over the past decade and has been recognized nationally as one of the fastest growing public research universities.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln consistently ranks in the top tier of national research universities. UNL is ranked near the top third of all national universities, both public and private. In recent years, Nebraska has been ranked highly for value, graduation rate and access.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is the intellectual center for the state of Nebraska, providing leadership in education, research, and community engagement. The citizens of Nebraska benefit from the knowledge and research generated by our faculty, students and staff. This research-based service to Nebraska is a feature that distinguishes the land grant mission of our university.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is committed to establishing a culturally and intellectually diverse environment and encouraging all members of its learning community to reach their full potential. UNL is responsive to dual-career families and strongly promotes work-life balance to support its community members through a suite of institutionalized policies.

Additional information about the University of Nebraska–Lincoln may be obtained from its website, https://www.unl.edu/.