The University of Nevada, Reno is one of eight institutions within the Nevada System of Higher Education. The university system was established in 1864, the year of the state’s admission into the Union, but because of the state’s small population, wasn’t able to offer courses until 10 years later. The first classes were offered in 1874 in Elko as one of the rare preparatory schools in the intermountain region. In 1885, the university was moved to Reno, near the center of the state’s population, and it has flourished since its first year of formal college-level study in 1887.
A constitutionally established land-grant university, the University of Nevada, Reno emphasizes those programs and activities that best serve the needs of the state, region and nation. The university seeks to provide broad access to higher education irrespective of wealth or social status; to educate the professional cadres of an industrial, increasingly urban society; and to strengthen democracy by assuring the welfare and social status of all. Approximately 200 courses are offered online.
While the majority of students are undergraduates, the university has a sizable graduate student population of approximately 3,000. Students come from all over Nevada. Additionally, the university’s reputation attracts many students from throughout the United States and the world.
The University of Nevada, Reno offers 70 bachelor’s degree programs, 59 master’s degree programs, 34 doctoral degree programs, and boasts 9 major academic units. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
The University of Nevada, Reno is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation in any program or activity it operates.