The University of Delaware

University of Delaware

Latin: Universitas Delavariensis
Motto	Scientia Sol Mentis Est (Latin)
Motto in English	Knowledge is the light of the mind
Type	Private/Public hybrid Land grant Sea Grant Space Grant
Established	1743
Endowment	$1.262 billion (2016)
President	Dennis Assanis
Academic staff	1,172 (2012)
Administrative staff	4,004
Students	22,852 (Fall 2015)
Undergraduates	18,353 (Fall 2015)
Postgraduates	4,499 (Fall 2015)
Location	Newark, Delaware, U.S.
Campus	Suburban 2,311 acres
Colors	Delaware blue, Delaware yellow
Athletics	NCAA Division I FCS
Nickname	Fightin' Blue Hens
Affiliations	MAISA, Colonial Athletic Association
Sports	21 varsity teams
Mascot	YoUDee
Website	www.udel.edu

The University of Delaware (colloquially "UD") is the largest university in Delaware. The main campus is in Newark, with satellite campuses in Dover, Wilmington, Lewes, and Georgetown. It is considered a large institution with approximately 18,500 undergraduate and 4,500 graduate students. UD is a privately governed university which receives public funding for being a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant and urban-grant state-supported research institution.

UD is classified as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The university's programs in engineering, science, business, hospitality management, education, urban affairs and public policy, public administration, agriculture, history, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry and biochemistry have been highly ranked with some drawing from the historically strong presence of the nation's chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the state of Delaware, such as DuPont and W. L. Gore and Associates. It is one of only four schools in North America with a major in art conservation. In 1923, UD was the first American university to offer a study abroad program.

The school from which the university grew was founded in 1743, making it one of the oldest in the nation. However, UD was not chartered as an institution of higher learning until 1833. Its original class of ten students included George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith, all three of whom would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence.