The first impression most incoming students have about the University is that its size can be intimidating. Often, the University’s 40,000 students, three campuses and hundreds of acres of land are even larger than the communities many new enrollees are originally from. Although this vastness is usually one of the University’s greatest liabilities to prospective students, after a few years of familiarizing themselves, most realize that its size is actually one of the University’s greatest assets.
The University offers more diverse offerings for both social and professional growth than any other school. The third largest post-secondary institution in the United States, the University resides in the heart of a regional, cultural and financial center, as well as a seat of government. This location provides opportunities for internships and professional experience that most graduate students elsewhere do not have access to.
The University is comprised of 19 individual colleges and offers almost 500 degree programs — 161 bachelor’s degrees, 218 master’s degrees, 114 doctoral degrees and 5 professional degrees. If undergraduates would like to choose a more tailored program, there are also majors and degree options that can be individually designed.
Because of the University’s resources, the research facilities are arguably the best of any institution. The University Libraries are actually the 17th largest system — either institutional or municipal — in North America, containing over 5.5 million volumes and subscribing to more than 48,000 journals and periodicals. The 40 libraries and divisions serve as the regional depository for both U.S. governmental publications and United Nations documents.
While it is understandable for incoming students to be overwhelmed, after becoming comfortable with the environment, they should take advantage of the University’s unbeatable resources.