University of Maine

University of Maine is a public institution that was founded in 1865. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,339, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 660 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Maine's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $10,610 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $28,880 (2015-16).

Located on the banks of the Stillwater River in the town of Orono, the University of Maine campus is about 60 miles from the Atlantic coast and approximately 100 miles from the Canadian border. At the University of Maine, students can choose from nearly 90 undergraduate majors and more than 70 master's degree programs, including business, law, engineering and education. Outside the classroom, University of Maine students participate in many annual events. When freshmen move into the dorms before fall semester, faculty and staff volunteers greet the new students, help them move in and direct traffic as part of the Maine Hello program. Each spring, classes are canceled for Maine Day, when the university community hosts a parade, and then everyone helps clean the campus.

The university, often called UMaine, also has more than 200 student organizations and about 25 fraternities and sororities for students to join. Student athletes at UMaine can get involved at the intramural, club and varsity levels. The UMaine Black Bears intercollegiate sports teams compete in various conferences of the NCAA Division I and are best known for hockey. Notable UMaine alumni include bestselling horror author Stephen King, who wrote "Carrie" and "The Green Mile."

The University of Maine offers the extensive academic opportunities you'd expect from a major research university with the close-knit feel of a small college. As Maine's flagship university, UMaine offers the state's most comprehensive academic experience, with more than 90 undergraduate majors and academic programs, 75 master's programs and 30 doctoral programs. All majors benefit from a firm foundation in the liberal arts. Top students are invited to join UMaine's Honors College, one of the country's oldest honors programs. The University of Maine is ranked 105 in the National Science Foundation's top research universities, and its facilities and faculty have an international reputation for excellence. Among the highlights are the Climate Change Institute, which has been featured on '60 Minutes', the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, which is a hub for cutting-edge sensor and nanotechnology research, and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, which is leading the nation in deepwater offshore wind energy development. UMaine students have extraordinary opportunities to gain real-world experience. SPIFFY, a student investment club, manages a $2.3 million real-money portfolio. Wildlife ecology majors learn about bear behavior by going out and tagging cubs. Engineering majors secure co-ops and internships that often lead to employment after graduation. Education majors take advantage of urban, rural and international student-teaching opportunities. UMaine has five colleges: College of Education and Human Development; College of Engineering; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture; Honors College; and the Maine Business School. Undergraduate research is a priority and a point of pride. The Center for Undergraduate Research connects students with faculty projects that suit their interests. For many, research provides an opportunity for a mentor-mentee relationship different from, and often richer than, that of teacher-student. Skills developed through research and scholarship make students more competitive in the workplace and in graduate school. Students have opportunities to work alongside some of the most renowned scholars and scientists in the world, whether they're talking civil engineering over lunch in the Bear's Den or traversing an Antarctic ice sheet with climate researchers. In addition to state-of-the art research and classroom facilities, the University of Maine is the region's cultural hub, home to the Collins Center for the Arts and several museums and galleries. The New Balance Student Recreation Center is a campus hot spot, as is Fogler Library, the state's largest library. Students can get involved in more than 200 clubs and organizations, 17 fraternities or eight sororities, Student Government, community service groups, intramural sports and more. UMaine is the state's only Division I school, and athletic events, especially hockey, are a big part of the student experience. In fact, the Wall Street Journal says Alfond Arena has the best atmosphere in college hockey, and Orono is ranked 29 in The Bleacher Report's Top 50 Hockey Cities in North America. There's no place like Maine, and our students take advantage of the great outdoors whenever they can. There are 15 miles of walking, biking and cross-country skiing trails on campus. Some of the best skiing in the Northeast is located within an easy driving distance of campus, as are Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

University of Louisville

University of Louisville is a public institution that was founded in 1798. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,962, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 345 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Louisville's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $10,738 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $24,626 (2015-16).

The University of Louisville is located in Kentucky on the banks of the Ohio River, about 100 miles from both Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Students at U of L, as it is known, can major in more than 170 areas of study, including master's programs in the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and in the fields of business and medicine. Outside the classroom, University of Louisville students can join more than 400 campus organizations, pledge with about 30 fraternities and sororities and play intramural sports. More serious athletes can try out for the Louisville Cardinals varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference.

On campus, U of L students can also check out the art museum, planetarium and Auguste Rodin's original sculpture of The Thinker. In the city of Louisville, U of L students can go to the zoo, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival and the famous Kentucky Derby horse race. Notable University of Louisville alumni include radio journalist Bob Edwards and the late Frank Neuhauser, who won the first National Spelling Bee in 1925 when he successfully spelled the word "gladiolus."

The University of Louisville is intent on becoming a premier metropolitan research university, known for improving the lives of the citizens of Louisville and Kentucky. Ranked among America's top 12 "good neighbors" in a survey by the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, UofL emphasis the Signature Partnership initiative, a program designed to enhance the quality of life and economic opportunity for individuals and families who live in Louisville's urban core. The goal is to work with various community partners to improve their educational, health, economic and social status. Working closely with community residents, the Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville Metro Government, Metro United Way, the Urban League, faith-based organizations and many others, the university has coordinated and enhanced existing programs and launched new programs designed to eliminate or reduce disparities in that area. UofL is drawing upon the expertise and energy of every school and college to deal with the quality of life issues affecting the community. UofL also serves as an economic engine for Louisville. An independent study showed that between 2003 and 2009 UofL-related investments resulted in the creation of 9,764 jobs - or about 40 percent of the new net jobs created in Kentucky during that time. UofL activities also added $1.7 billion to the commonwealth's economic output. The university's strategy includes taking underperforming assets and finding ways to help them reach their economic potential. This tactic is important for the university's economic well-being in a period when Kentucky has cut funding to state universities 14 times in 14 years. A significant portion of UofL's Shelby Campus is being developed into the Shelbyhurst Office and Research Park. The first building has been completed and is 100 percent occupied; a second building is under construction. Revenue generated from ShelbyHurst Office and Research Park will support UofL's academic and research missions. UofL also is developing property in downtown Louisville at its Health Sciences campus and has acquired property adjacent to its Belknap Campus. That property will be home to the Belknap Engineering and Applied Science Research Park. The park will include the Institute for Product Realization and Innovation a collaboration between industry and UofL to quickly create innovative products and test them in the marketplace. While that development is in the planning stages, a development in downtown Louisville is under way. NUCLEUS, Kentucky's Life Science and Innovation Center, provides business management and consulting services to support entrepreneurs engaged in life sciences. When it is completed, the research complex will house multiple facilities in close proximity to expedite collaboration and shared expertise among researchers and companies. In addition to the support UofL provides the commonwealth for improving infrastructure, UofL also started the Cardinal Covenant program - the first program of its kind in Kentucky - to help low-income families fund a college education. Students leave the program debt free and with a college education - ready to enter Kentucky's workforce. More than 300 students are currently in the program, and more than a third of those have a gpa of 3.0 or higher. Helping students reach their potential takes many forms of support. Over the past decade, incoming UofL students have been increasingly better prepared than those who have come before them. Starting in 2000, the university created an office to help them apply for national and international teaching and research scholarships. The office has been so successful in identifying excellent scholars that UofL students and graduates received 75 Fulbright scholarships between 2003 and 2013, ranking UofL among the top-producing universities in the nation. Since 2009, UofL students also have captured prestigious Rhodes, Truman and Goldwater scholarships, among others.

University of Idaho

University of Idaho is a public institution that was founded in 1889. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,388, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 1,450 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Idaho's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,020 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,024 (2015-16).

University of Idaho is located in the northwestern part of the state, in the city of Moscow. Undergraduates at Idaho can choose from many majors within eight colleges, and graduate students can earn degrees in more than 80 master's programs, including business, law, engineering and education. Outside the classroom, students can join more than 200 organizations, play club-level or intramural sports or explore the city. Moscow is home to movie theaters, cafés, restaurants and the four-day Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

Student athletes can try out for Idaho's silver-and-gold sports teams, which are called the Vandals, thanks to an old newspaper account of the 1917 basketball team vandalizing its opponents on the court. The Vandals mainly compete in the NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference. Notable Idaho alumni include Mark Felt, better known as Deep Throat, who was the source to reporters during the Watergate political scandal in the 1970s.

The University of Idaho is a high-research, land-grant institution committed to undergraduate and graduate research education with extension services responsive to Idaho and the region's business and community needs. Many students take advantage of an emphasis on undergraduate research opportunities in computer security, transportation innovations, environmental science, agricultural science, evolutionary biology, biomedical research and power applications to name a few. A U Idaho education is nationally ranked as a best buy for the quality and value and is one of the country's "most wired" universities. The University of Idaho offers a complete living and learning experience. The residential campus is located in the small, friendly community of Moscow, Idaho, and is surrounded by the rural beauty and outdoor recreational activities of North Idaho. There are many unexpected gems, like the four-day Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival each February. More than 12,000 students from around the nation and world attend the University of Idaho.

University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida is a public institution that was founded in 1963. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 52,532, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,415 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Central Florida's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $6,368 (2014-15); out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,467 (2014-15).

The University of Central Florida is, fittingly, a school that's spread across the middle of the state. UCF is based in Orlando and has more than 10 regional campuses in locations including Daytona Beach, Ocala and South Lake. Freshmen at the Orlando campus are not required to live on campus and, because of limited space, those who hope to are encouraged to apply early for housing. There are more than 40 fraternities and sororities in the school's large Greek system, as well as more than 300 other student organizations to consider joining. The UCF Knights compete in the NCAA Division I American Athletic Conference.

The University of Central Florida has many programs for graduate students, too, including those through the College of Business Administration, College of Engineering and Computer Science and College of Education. Notable alumni of the University of Central Florida include Cheryl Hines, an actress who starred in HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"; comedian Daniel Tosh, star of Comedy Central’s "Tosh.0"; and former soccer player Michelle Akers, a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida, founded in 1963, is the second-largest university in the nation. Located in Orlando, Florida, UCF and its 12 colleges provide opportunities to 61,000 students, offering 210 degree programs from UCF's main campus, hospitality campus, health sciences campus and its 10 regional locations. UCF was ranked as the nation's No. 3 Up-and-Coming university in the 2015 U.S. News & World Report`s Best Colleges rankings. Last year, Kiplinger's and The Princeton Review ranked UCF as one of the nation`s best values for a college education. UCF, Florida's largest university, promotes a diverse and inclusive environment. Students come from 50 states and 148 countries. Study abroad programs allow students to study and conduct research with 98 institutions in 36 countries. Students at UCF have been recognized throughout the world and include recipients of the Rhodes, Mellon and Goldwater scholarships. In 2014, UCF enrolled 79 freshman National Merit Scholars for an overall enrollment of 275 National Merit Scholars. Both school records. Last year, UCF enrolled more National Merit Scholars and awarded more degrees than any other Florida university. UCF is an academic, partnership and research leader in numerous fields, such as optics, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business administration, education, the sciences including biomedical sciences, hospitality management and digital media. In 2013-14, UCF professors received $145.6 million in research funding and have accrued more than $1.1 billion in external grants during the past decade. Distinctive programs extend learning beyond the classroom and include leadership programs, cooperative education, mentorships, internships, service learning and paid research positions. UCF is one of 25 public universities with the Carnegie Foundations highest designation in two categories: community engagement and very high research activity. The main campus stretches 1,415 acres and manages 800 acres of natural ecosystems resulting in habitats for more than 45 animal species. The Health Center is a full-service health clinic with on-site professionals, X-ray capabilities, dental services, a pharmacy, a medical laboratory and physical therapy services. The Student Union has computer labs, study lounges, ballrooms and meeting rooms, popular eating establishments and a small shopping mall. Students also enjoy a 149,000-square-foot Recreation and Wellness Center complete with a three-story climbing wall, an indoor track and fitness equipment. On-campus housing includes 11 communities for 12,000 students ranging from first-year to graduate students. UCF Knights won the inaugural American Athletic Conference titles in women's soccer and football and was the youngest university to ever play in a BCS bowl game last year. UCF Athletics football program finished last year ranked No. 10 in The Associated Press Top 25.

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University is a public institution that was founded in 1923. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 28,632, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,839 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Texas Tech University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,567 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,267 (2015-16).

Texas Tech University is a large research institution in the college town of Lubbock. Students are required to live on campus until they have completed 30 hours of course work. The Texas Tech Red Raiders sports teams compete in the NCAA Big 12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football and basketball. Students can join more than 450 student organizations, including Texas Tech's large Greek community, made up of about 50 fraternities and sororities. The university also runs research centers and institutes, including the National Wind Institute.

The school offers a wide variety of graduate programs, including degrees through the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business Administration, the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering and the School of Law. Notable alumni of Texas Tech University include Ed Whitacre, former chairman and CEO of both AT&T and General Motors and the namesake of the engineering school; Grammy-nominated country singer Pat Green; and actor Brad Leland, who appeared in both the feature film and television series "Friday Night Lights."

A new era of excellence is dawning at Texas Tech University as it stands on the cusp of being one of the nation's premier research institutions.

Research and enrollment numbers are at record levels, pushing the university closer to the ultimate goal of attaining Tier One status. Texas Tech's total research expenditures continue to rise. The largest student enrollments occurred in the fall semesters of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 respectively. Numbers like that cement Texas Tech's commitment to attracting and retaining quality students.

Quality students need a top-notch faculty. Texas Tech is home to a diverse, highly revered pool of educators. In 2013, ten faculty members were awarded grants from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, the most in the university's 90-year history. Through the Fulbright program, these educators are bestowed the opportunity to work side-by-side with researchers around the world promoting educational collaboration.

Texas Tech also has three National Academy members on faculty at the Whitacre College of Engineering. This honor is considered one of the highest among professional engineers. One of the National Academy members was also appointed as the new holder of the Jack Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair in Sustainable Energy.

Texas Tech is constantly reaching necessary benchmarks to make it even more of a national presence in research. In May of 2012, the university met the criteria to receive a share of Texas's National Research University Fund (NRUF). Inclusion to the fund moves Tech a step closer to attaining Tier One status.

New research partnerships are creating unparalleled academic collaborations for the university to make strides in many areas.

Since 1970, Texas Tech has been a trailblazer in wind science. The university created the National Wind Institute (NWI) to better support the interdisciplinary research and educational opportunities in wind science, engineering, and energy. The institute combines the former Wind Science and Engineering research center (WISE) and the Texas Wind Energy Institute. Texas Tech also houses newly commissioned turbines at the Department of Energy/Sandia Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWIFT) Facility. The SWIFT facility is the only one of its kind in the world and gives the U.S. a significant advantage in the reduction of wind energy costs.

Texas Tech has one of the largest petroleum engineering departments in the nation and, in 2014, opened the Terry Fuller Petroleum Engineering Research Building. The $20 million project houses 40,000-square feet of formal teaching environments with hands-on applications and modern research facilities. University researchers have developed innovative ways to stimulate natural gas and oil well production through hydraulic fracturing (fracking.) The Office of Technology Commercialization at Texas Tech has filed two patent applications to protect these methods and is actively working with oil and gas companies to begin using these improved rock fracturing techniques in the field.

Texas Tech is a leader in community outreach and engagement. The university and the Lubbock Independent School District, along with multiple community partners, celebrated a $24 million Promise Neighborhood grant from the U.S. Department of Education. There are only seven Promise Neighborhood grantees across the nation, and East Lubbock Neighborhood consortium will receive funding over five years.  

Ball State University

Ball State University is a public institution that was founded in 1918. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 16,415, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,140 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Ball State University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 168. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,624 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,348 (2015-16).

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana, about an hour northeast of Indianapolis. Students at Ball State can choose from about 180 undergraduate majors, including an entrepreneurship program. In their senior year, entrepreneurship students must pass the New Venture Creation course, for which they develop a business plan that is presented to a panel of business professionals before graduation. Master's students at Ball State University can earn degrees in more than 100 fields, including those in the Miller College of Business and the Teachers College.

Outside the classroom, Ball State students can get involved in more than 350 campus organizations and play club and recreational sports. More serious athletes can try out for the Ball State Cardinals varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference. Notable alumni include late-night talk show host David Letterman, who developed a scholarship for creative Ball State media students with average grades.

As a public research university, we focus on students and high-quality, relevant educational outcomes. Disciplinary knowledge is integrated with application. We do this in a manner that fundamentally changes students, researchers, and our external partners, who look to the university for guidance. We transform information into knowledge, knowledge into judgment, and judgment into action that addresses complex problems. Student-faculty collaboration and immersion in real-world learning experiences are hallmarks of Ball State University education. These intense interdisciplinary experiences transform students and best prepare them for the 21st century citizenry. Students have direct access to world-class faculty in vibrant, supportive environment. Campus features state-of-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, especially evident in the new David Letterman Communication and Media Building and Park Residence Hall. Ball State values quality and innovation in education and is a leader in meaningfully integrating technology into curriculum. The university has nationally ranked and award-winning programs in entrepreneurship, landscape architecture, digital media, music technology, telecommunications, educational leadership, and other disciplines, and its student organizations have consistently placed high in academic competitions. Ball State has also been recognized for excellence in freshman programs and its commitment to diversity and environment. With about 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students from across the country and abroad, Ball State University is redefining education by providing relevant immersive learning experiences that engage high-caliber students in intense interdisciplinary projects both in and out of classroom. Founded in 1918, Ball State is a public institution classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a research university, high research activity (RU/H). Recently, Ball State earned the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The classification recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an institution-wide commitment to public service, civic involvement, and community partnerships. Its vibrant 731-acre campus is located in Muncie, Indiana, a midsized city one hour northeast of Indianapolis.