University of Louisville facts for kids
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Former names
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Jefferson Seminary (1798–1829) Louisville Medical Institute (1837–1846) Louisville College (1840–1846) |
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| Type | Public research university |
| Established | April 3, 1798 |
| Accreditation | SACS |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $883.6 million (2022) |
| Budget | $1.3 billion |
| President | Kim Schatzel |
| Provost | Lori Stewart Gonzalez |
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Academic staff
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1,776 full-time, 764 part-time |
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Administrative staff
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4,585 |
| Students | 23,043 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 16,121 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 6,099 (Fall 2022) |
| Location |
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United States
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| Campus | Large city, Belknap: 345 acres HSC: 62 acres Shelby: 233 acres Total: 640 acres (2.6 km2) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Louisville Cardinal |
| Colors | Cardinal red Black |
| Nickname | Cardinals |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I FBS – ACC |
| Mascot | Louie the Cardinal |
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The University of Louisville (often called UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of Kentucky's state university system. The university was founded in 1798. It was one of the first public colleges in the United States owned by a city. It was also one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The Kentucky government wants UofL to be a "Preeminent Metropolitan Research University." This means it should be a top university for research in a big city. Students come to UofL from all over Kentucky, all 50 U.S. states, and 116 countries.
UofL is known for its high level of research. The University of Louisville School of Medicine has made amazing medical breakthroughs. For example, it performed the first fully self-contained artificial heart transplant. It also did the first successful hand transplantation in the United States. The University Hospital also had the first civilian ambulance. It created the nation's first accident services, now called an emergency department (ED). It was also one of the first places in the U.S. to have a blood bank.
The university is also famous for its sports teams, the Louisville Cardinals. Since 2005, the Cardinals have done very well in many sports. This includes men's basketball, football, and baseball. Women's basketball, volleyball, and track and field teams have also achieved great success.
Contents
History of the University
How UofL Started: 1798–1845
The University of Louisville began in 1798. The Kentucky government gave permission to start a school in Louisville. They sold land to help pay for building the school. Eight community leaders also helped raise money for what was then called the Jefferson Seminary.
The school opened 15 years later. It offered classes for both college and high school students. Edward Mann Butler led the school from 1813 to 1816. He is known as Kentucky's first historian. The Jefferson Seminary closed in 1829. This was because new public schools opened, and some people thought it was only for rich students.
In 1837, the Louisville City council started the Louisville Medical Institute. A famous doctor named Charles Caldwell pushed for this. He quickly made it one of the best medical schools west of the Allegheny Mountains. In 1840, another medical school, Louisville College, opened nearby.
Becoming a Public City University: 1846–1969
In 1846, the Kentucky government combined the Louisville Medical Institute, Louisville College, and a new law school. They formed the University of Louisville. The university grew a lot in the 1900s. It added new schools for liberal arts (1907) and graduate studies (1915). Schools for dentistry (1918), engineering (1925), music (1932), and social work (1936) were also added.
In 1923, the university bought what is now the Belknap Campus. The liberal arts and law programs moved there. The medical school stayed downtown. The Belknap Campus was named after the Belknap family. They had tried to donate land for a campus earlier. In 1926, Grawemeyer Hall was built.
In 1931, the university opened the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes. This was a way to offer education to African American students. It was part of the university and had the same standing as other colleges. The school closed in 1951 when the university became desegregated.
During World War II, UofL was one of many colleges that helped train Navy students. In the second half of the 1900s, new schools for business (1953), education (1968), and justice administration (1969) were opened.
Becoming a Public State University: 1970–Present
In the 1960s, people started talking about UofL joining Kentucky's state university system. The university was funded only by the city of Louisville. As people moved to the suburbs, the school faced money problems. Tuition became too expensive for many students.
At the same time, UofL's medical and law schools were seen as valuable for the state. After much discussion, the university joined the state system in 1970. This was largely thanks to then-Governor Louie Nunn.
The first years in the state system were tough. Student numbers grew very fast, but funding was often not enough. Some programs were at risk of losing their approval. However, new schools for nursing (1979) and urban & public affairs (1983) were added.
John W. Shumaker became president in 1995. He was very good at raising money. He helped the school's funds grow a lot. He also started programs to help students stay in school. In 1997, he hired Tom Jurich as athletics director. Jurich improved the sports programs and raised money to build new sports facilities on campus. This made the Belknap Campus look much better.
James R. Ramsey became the 17th president. He continued to grow the university's funds. Ramsey also focused on making the Belknap Campus more beautiful. He started a project to paint overpasses and plant trees. He also doubled the number of student housing units on campus. Under Ramsey, the university's research funding from the government doubled. Three new buildings were built for research in nanotechnology and medicine. The number of students who graduated also increased.
In 2016, there were changes to the university's leadership. The governor made changes to the board of trustees. The university was put on academic probation for a year. This was because of concerns about the university's independence. The probation was lifted later.
From 1895 to 2016, there was a Confederate monument on the Belknap Campus. It honored soldiers from the American Civil War. In 2016, the statue was moved to Brandenburg, Kentucky.
After Neeli Bendapudi left, Lori Stewart Gonzalez was interim president. Kim Schatzel became the 19th president of the University of Louisville on February 1, 2023.
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University Campuses
The University of Louisville has three main campuses in the Louisville area. These are the Belknap, Health Science, and Shelby campuses. It also has an International Campus in Panama City, Panama. There are also other smaller locations in Kentucky and other countries.
Belknap Campus
The Belknap Campus is the university's main campus. It was acquired in 1923. It is located three miles south of downtown Louisville. Seven of the 12 academic colleges are here. You can see a famous statue, The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, in front of Grawemeyer Hall. This campus used to be an orphanage, and some of the original buildings are still used.
The Belknap Campus has grown a lot recently. Old factories nearby were bought and turned into new university areas. New projects built since 1998 include L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium and Cardinal Park. Cardinal Park has fields for softball, field hockey, soccer, and tennis. It also has locker rooms and walking paths. Jim Patterson Stadium for baseball and the Ralph R. Wright Natatorium are also new.
Other interesting places on the Belknap Campus include the Rauch Planetarium. There is also the Covi Gallery of the Hite Art Institute. The final resting place for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis and his wife is also here. The Speed Art Museum, a private museum, is next to the campus.
Since 2008, the school has bought more land next to the Belknap Campus. This land is being used for new student housing and parking. A new research park for engineering and applied sciences is planned. This will help bring economic growth to the area around the campus.
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Student Activities Center and Clock Tower
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Belknap Campus from the Eastern Parkway overpass
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Rauch Planetarium
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Lutz Hall is home to departments like Sociology and Engineering.
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Belknap Campus New Projects
In 2009, the university shared its plans for the next 20 years. Many new projects were planned or under construction. These included a new student recreation center and new student dorms. The roads around the campus were also improved. This made it easier for people to walk and bike.
The KFC Yum! Center, a practice facility for basketball, was finished in 2007. A new sports training center is being built near Trager Stadium. Trager Plaza, a small area with a fountain and garden, has also been built. The $37.5 million Student Recreation Center opened in 2013. New student housing buildings like The Province and Cardinal Towne have also been built.
Many sports facilities are being updated. A new $8 million academic center will be built at Cardinal Stadium. It will have seating for over 5,300 fans. It will also have a large training center with locker rooms and coaches' offices. This stadium will be the second largest project for the athletic department.
The baseball stadium, Jim Patterson Stadium, is also being expanded. It will add 1,500 more seats. The softball stadium, Dan Ulmer Stadium, will also be expanded. It will get 200 more seats and a new press box.
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Old Louisville | |
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| South Louisville |  |
St. Joseph | ||
 University of Louisville Belknap Campus  |
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| South Louisville | Bradley |
Health Sciences Campus
The University Health Sciences Center is also called the med campus. It is located just east of Downtown Louisville. This area has other major hospitals. This is the university's original campus, used since 1846. Important buildings here include the Medical Research Tower and the University Hospital.
A new building for the Cardiovascular Research Innovation Institute has been completed. An eight-story, $70 million biomedical research building is also finished. Teachers and students also work with nearby hospitals like Norton Children's Hospital. They also help with health programs across Kentucky.
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Cardiovascular Innovation Institute
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The university's Medical Research Tower
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Baxter Research Building on the Louisville Health Sciences Campus
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University Hospital Medical Plaza, completed in June 2008
Health Sciences Campus New Projects
The Health Sciences Campus has seen a lot of new buildings in the last ten years. Three new buildings have been completed: Baxter Research Complex, Cardiovascular Research Tower, and Jackson Street Medical Plaza.
In 2007, Louisville announced plans for a nine-acre medical research park. This area is now called the Nucleus Research Park. It will have a million square feet of research space. Nucleus was started in 2008 by the University of Louisville Foundation. It helps develop the Health Science Campus downtown.
Nucleus is important for the research park being built in downtown Louisville. The Nucleus Innovation Park will have many facilities. This project is expected to cost $300 million. The first building, an eight-story, $18 million building, opened in 2013.
Next to the Downtown Health Sciences Campus, the Clarksdale Housing Complex was changed. It became a new mixed-income neighborhood called Liberty Green.
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Ohio River | |
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Phoenix Hill | ||
| University of Louisville Health Sciences Campus |
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Shelby Campus
The 230-acre Shelby Campus is in Eastern Louisville. This campus used to be Kentucky Southern College. It was a college that operated from 1961 to 1969. After it closed, its assets were given to the university. Now, it has three buildings used for night classes and seminars. A new Center for Predictive Medicine is being built here.
The Shelby Campus also has the Information Technology Resource Center (ITRC). This center does research for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It also offers training in emergency preparedness. The ShelbyHurst Office Campus is also being developed here. It will have over 1.5 million square feet of office space.
The Shelby Campus is being greatly updated. Two new entrances are being built off Hurstbourne Parkway. The goal is to develop 108 acres of the campus for businesses and research. This area is now called the ShelbyHurst Research and Office Park. The university is spending $7.9 million on road improvements. The first new office building, 600 North, is already completed.
International Campus
The University of Louisville has a campus in Panama City, Panama. This campus offers an MBA program. The full-time program takes about 16 months to finish. Around 200 students are enrolled there. It is ranked as one of the best MBA programs in Latin America.
The university also offers MBA programs in Athens, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Their partner in Singapore is Aventis School of Management.
Other Facilities
Louisville also runs the Moore Observatory in Oldham County. This is an astronomical observatory. There are also plans to buy land in Oldham County for the school's equine (horse) program.
The president's house, Amelia Place, is located at 2515 Longest Avenue. It used to be the home of a railroad executive.
Academics and Learning
The University of Louisville offers many different degrees. You can get a bachelor's degree in 70 subjects. There are master's degrees in 78 subjects and doctorate degrees in 22 subjects. In 2018, UofL spent $176 million on research and development. This ranked it 125th in the nation for research.
Through its School of Medicine and University Hospital, UofL is known for new ideas in medicine. These include the world's first self-contained artificial heart transplant (2001). Also, the world's first successful hand transplant (1999). They also developed autotransfusion (1935) and had the first emergency department (1911).
University Rankings
| ARWU World | 701–800 |
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| USNWR National University | 195 |
| Washington Monthly National University | 270 |
| Forbes | 423 |
U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Louisville's undergraduate program. In 2023, it was tied for 195th among all national universities. It was tied for 106th among public universities. Forbes Magazine ranked the university 423rd out of 650 universities and colleges. It was 195th for public colleges.
How to Get In
Getting into Louisville is considered "selective." This means they choose students carefully. For the freshmen class in Fall 2015, 9,430 people applied. 6,758 applicants were accepted, which is about 71.7%. 2,797 students chose to enroll. About half of the new students were men and half were women.
For students who started in Fall 2015, the middle 50% of SAT scores were between 490 and 620 for reading. For math, scores were between 510 and 620. The middle 50% of ACT scores were between 22 and 29. The average high school GPA for new freshmen was 3.60.
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
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| Applicants | N/A | 9,430 | 9,711 | 9,142 | 8,441 | 7,892 |
| Admits | N/A | 6,758 | 6,979 | 6,496 | 6,440 | 5,738 |
| % admitted | N/A | 71.7 | 71.9 | 71.1 | 76.3 | 72.7 |
| Enrolled | N/A | 2,797 | 2,887 | 2,855 | 2,705 | 2,569 |
| Average GPA | N/A | 3.60 | 3.55 | 3.53 | 3.49 | 3.46 |
| SAT range * | N/A | 1000–1240 | 1010–1250 | 1010–1260 | 1010–1260 | 990–1250 |
| ACT range * | N/A | 22–29 | 22–28 | 22–28 | 22–28 | 21–28 |
| * middle 50% SAT out of 1600 |
Schools and Colleges
The university has 12 main schools and colleges:
- College of Arts and Sciences (1907)
- College of Business (1953)
- College of Education and Human Development (1968)
- Graduate School (1918)
- J. B. Speed School of Engineering (1925)
- Kent School of Social Work (1936)
- Louis D. Brandeis School of Law (1846)
- School of Dentistry (1887)
- University of Louisville School of Medicine (1837)
- School of Music (1932)
- School of Nursing (1979)
- School of Public Health and Information Sciences (1919–1924; re-established in 2002)
UPS Tuition Help and Metropolitan College
UPS (United Parcel Service) helps Louisville students who work overnight at Worldport. Worldport is the company's main air hub at Louisville International Airport. Through a program called Metropolitan College, UPS pays for students' full tuition.
This program also helps with book costs for each class. Students who do well get bonus checks at the end of each semester. They also get bonuses when they reach certain credit milestones. Most of the workers at the air hub are students.
Honors Program
The university has an honors program led by Joy Hart. New freshmen can apply if they have a 3.5 high school GPA and a 29 on their ACT. Current students can apply if they keep a GPA of 3.35 or higher.
Honors courses focus on reading, writing, and discussion. Students in the honors program get to register for classes first. They also have smaller class sizes. They can also get special study abroad opportunities.
University Libraries
The University of Louisville library system is part of the Association of Research Libraries. Louisville's main library is the William F. Ekstrom Library. It opened in 1981. The building was expanded in 2006. It now holds over 1.3 million books.
It is one of only five universities in the U.S. with a robotic system to get books. This system places books in special bins that control humidity. The University of Louisville libraries were the seventh school in North America to have this kind of system.
There are five other libraries at the university:
- Archives and Special Collections
- The Margaret M. Bridwell Art Library
- Dwight Anderson Memorial Music Library
- Kornhauser Health Sciences Library
- Brandeis Law School Library
In 2009, the Kersey Library at the J. B. Speed School of Engineering became an academic building. It is now called the Duthie Center for Engineering. The library's books were moved to Ekstrom Library in 2007.
Student Life at UofL
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
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| White | 68% |
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| Black | 13% |
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| Hispanic | 6% |
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| Other | 6% |
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| Asian | 5% |
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| Foreign national | 1% |
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| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income | 35% |
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| Affluent | 65% |
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Student Housing
The university has 12 places for students to live on its campuses:
- Belknap Village North
- Belknap Village South
- Bettie Johnson Hall
- Billy Minardi Hall
- Cardinal Towne – It has restaurants on the first floor.
- Community Park
- Denny Crum Hall – Named after former basketball coach Denny Crum.
- Herman & Heddy Kurz Hall
- Louisville Hall
- Unitas Tower – Named after football player Johnny Unitas. It is easily seen from campus.
- University Pointe
- University Tower Apartments
Student Media
The university's student-run online radio station, WLCV, closed in 2012. Louisville is important in the city's "Public Radio Partnership." This partnership has three NPR stations. One of them is WUOL-FM, which plays classical music. The university has a say in how the partnership is run.
There is also an independent student newspaper called The Louisville Cardinal. It was started in 1926. It has been financially and editorially independent since 1980. Local media professionals oversee the newspaper. A student is the main editor.
Inside the university's Student Activities Center is the Floyd Theatre. It is a movie theater with 228 seats. The Student Activities Board runs it.
Greek Life
There are over 20 Greek letter organizations on campus. These are like clubs or fraternities and sororities. As of 2022, about 14% of undergraduate men and 11% of undergraduate women are part of UofL's Greek system.
Famous People from UofL
Alumni
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More than 144,000 people who went to the University of Louisville live in the United States and around the world.
Famous alumni include a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Theatre (Marsha Norman, BFA 1969). Also, a 10-time NFL pro-bowler (Johnny Unitas). The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner (Lamar Jackson) also went here. The Minority Leader of the United States Senate (Mitch McConnell, BA 1964) is an alumnus. The first female director of the CIA (Gina Haspel, BA 1978) also studied at UofL.
University Athletics
The sports teams at the University of Louisville are called the Cardinals. The university is part of NCAA Division I. They mainly compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since 2014–15. Before that, the Cardinals were in the American Athletic Conference. They were also in Conference USA.
UofL has 21 different sports teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, and football. Women's sports include basketball, field hockey, and volleyball.
Sports Overview
The Cardinals are the student athletes who represent the university. There are 12 women's teams and 9 men's teams. All of them play in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Louisville joined the ACC in 2012 and started playing in 2014. The Cardinals are very well known for men's basketball. They have won two national championships. They have also been to the Final Four 9 times. They rank high in NCAA Tournament wins and attendance.
In recent years, other Cardinal teams have become famous. The women's basketball team has been to two Sweet 16s. They have also been ranked in the top 10. In 2008, they set a Big East attendance record. They played in the NCAA championship game in 2009 and 2013.
Other Louisville teams have also had recent success. This includes track and field, volleyball, and baseball. The volleyball team has won many championships. The head coach, Anne Kordes, was named Coach of the Year in 2015. Katie George was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Molly Sauer was named Freshman of the Year.
All Louisville games shown locally on WHAS-TV Louisville are available on every cable provider in Kentucky.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Louisville para niños
- McConnell Center
- Metro-College
