University of Nevada , Reno
The University of Nevada , Reno is the state ’ s historic flagship institution of higher education . The University has a student enrollment of more than 16,000 , including about 3,200 graduate students , and a total budget of nearly $ 500 million .
The University provides a broad range of programs and degree options , ranging from baccalaureate degrees in more than 75 disciplines to more than 100 graduate-degree programs at the master ’ s and doctoral level . The University of Nevada School of Medicine is a vital component of the University , with campuses in both of Nevada ’ s major urban centers , Las Vegas and Reno , and a health network that extends to much of rural Nevada .
The University of Nevada was founded in 1874 in Elko as the state ’ s first institution of higher education . Relocated to Reno in 1887 , the University remained the state ’ s only institution of higher education for 75 years . The first building on the Reno campus , Morrill Hall , is still in use today , and the campus has grown from a small cluster of buildings surrounding a central quadrangle ( modeled after Thomas Jefferson ’ s design for the University of Virginia ), to a 250-acre site just north of downtown Reno . The University is one of eight institutions of higher education governed by the Nevada System of Higher Education .
The University has 76 undergraduate degree programs , and more than 100 graduate degree programs ( 66 master ’ s and 37 doctoral programs ) from which students may choose . New majors approved recently include Atmospheric Sciences , Environmental Science , Forest and Rangeland Management , Wildlife Ecology , and Computer and Information Engineering . The University is also in the process of adding new Ph . D . programs in Mathematics , Statistics , and Geography , and a new interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Environmental Studies .
The tuition for Nevada resident undergraduates is among the lowest in the western United States and is a reflection of the Board of Regents ’ and state legislature ’ s policy to provide access to as many Nevada high school graduates as are qualified . For example , the resident undergraduate tuition and fees total $ 2,850 , which is lower than all but one of 15 western states . Nonresident undergraduate tuition and fees total $ 11,524 which is at the median for the western states .
Coupled with its status as a land-grant institution , the University necessarily has a statewide mission and boasts programs and activities in all 17 counties of the state . It has more than 700 employees outside the Reno area , most of them in Las Vegas . It plays a critical role in the promotion of health throughout the state through its Schools of Medicine , Nursing , and Public Health .
The University ’ s athletics programs compete in NCAA Division I as part of the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ). The University fields competitive teams in 18 sports , with seven men ’ s sports and 11 women ’ s sports teams offering scholarships .