Welcome to the University of Delaware!
The University of Delaware has a great tradition of excellence, from our founding as a small private academy in 1743, to the research-intensive, technologically advanced institution of today.
Our alumni tell our story of achievement, from our first class, which included three signers of the Declaration of Independence and one signer of the U.S. Constitution, to the more than 145,000 living Blue Hens who are making vital contributions to the world. President-Elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill, are both UD alumni as well as Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
The University received its charter from the State of Delaware in 1833 and was designated one of the nation’s historic Land Grant colleges in 1867. Today, UD is a Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant institution. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies UD as a research university with very high research activity—a designation accorded less than 3 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. UD ranks among the nation’s top 100 universities in federal R&D support for science and engineering.
A state-assisted, privately governed institution, UD offers a broad range of degree programs: 4 associate programs, 137 bachelor’s programs, 117 master’s programs, 50 doctoral programs and 12 dual graduate programs through our seven colleges and in collaboration with more than 60 research centers. Our student body encompasses nearly 17,000 undergraduates, 3,700 graduate students and 850 students in professional and continuing studies from across the country and around the globe.
Our distinguished faculty includes internationally known authors, scientists and artists, among them Nobel laureates, Guggenheim and Fulbright fellows, and members of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
State-of-the-art facilities support UD academic and public service activities. Our 146-foot coastal research vessel, Hugh R. Sharp, the most advanced in the U.S., helps scientists across the region explore the sea. World-class figure skaters train at our High Performance Figure Skating Center. Partnerships with Nemours/A. I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Christiana Care and Thomas Jefferson University; the U.S. Army; Winterthur; Longwood Gardens and Hagley Museum offer unparalleled experiences in health sciences, defense research, art conservation, horticulture and history. The University is now transforming a 272-acre parcel, the site of a former auto assembly plant, into a science and technology campus.
Distinguished speaker series, symposia, 21 intercollegiate athletics programs and numerous intramural and club sports, more than 300 student organizations, concerts, exhibits, and other arts and cultural activities enrich campus life.
Thomas Jefferson once described Delaware as a “jewel” among states due to its strategic location on the East Coast, halfway between Washington, D.C., and New York City. Today, however, the location of Delaware’s flagship university increasingly is invoked as “halfway between Los Angeles and London.”
In addition to our Georgian-inspired main campus in Newark, Del., UD has locations across the state–in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes. A thriving study-abroad program and expanding international partnerships further enhance our students’ education as global citizens.
We invite you to visit our campus or take our virtual tour today!
University of Delaware Website: www.udel.edu
*reprinted with permission from the University of Delaware