University of Cincinnati facts for kids

The University of Cincinnati (often called UC or just Cincinnati) is a big public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was started in 1819 as Cincinnati College, making it one of the oldest schools in the area. Today, over 50,000 students go there, making it the second-largest university in Ohio. UC is part of the University System of Ohio. Its main campus and medical campus are in the Heights and Corryville neighborhoods of Cincinnati. There are also smaller campuses in Batavia and Blue Ash.

The university has 14 different colleges. These colleges offer programs in many exciting subjects like architecture, business, education, engineering, law, music, and medicine. The medical college is well-known for its teaching hospital and research labs. Important discoveries made there include a polio vaccine and the medicine diphenhydramine (Benadryl). UC was also the first university to start a special learning method called co-operative education (co-op), where students get real work experience.

UC is officially recognized by the Higher Learning Commission. It is also known as an "R1: Doctoral University – Very high research activity," which means it does a lot of important research.

UC's sports teams are called the Cincinnati Bearcats. They compete in NCAA Division I as part of the Big 12 Conference.

Quick facts for kids
University of Cincinnati

Former names	List Cincinnati College (1819–1825; 1835–1870) Medical College of Ohio (1819–1896) Cincinnati Law School (1833–1893) Miami Medical College (1852–1909) Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (1867–1955) College of Music of Cincinnati (1878–1955) Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1955–1962)
Motto	Juncta Juvant (Latin) Alta Petit (Latin)
Motto in English	"Strength in Unity" "Seek the Highest"
Type	Public research university
Established	1819; 206 years ago (1819)
Parent institution	University System of Ohio
Accreditation	HLC
Academic affiliations	GCU GCCCU ORAU USU Space-grant
Endowment	$1.83 billion (2023)
President	Neville G. Pinto
Provost	Valerio Ferme
Academic staff	3,696 Full-time, 2,852 Part-time (2023)
Administrative staff	4,615 Full-time, 307 Part-time (2023)
Students	50,921 (2023)
Undergraduates	38,748 (2023)
Postgraduates	12,173 (2023)
Location	Cincinnati , Ohio , United States 39°07′52″N 84°30′58″W / 39.131°N 84.516°W / 39.131; -84.516
Campus	Large city, Main campus: 202 acres (0.82 km2) Uptown campus (Main and Medical): 194 acres (0.79 km2) All campuses: 473 acres (1.91 km2)
Other campuses	Clermont Blue Ash
Newspaper	The News Record
Colors	Red and black
Nickname	Bearcats
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS - Big 12
Mascot	The Bearcat

History of the University of Cincinnati

How UC Started

The University of Cincinnati building in 1874.

The University of Cincinnati began in 1819. Two schools were founded in Cincinnati that year: Cincinnati College and the Medical College of Ohio. A kind person named Daniel Drake helped start and pay for the Medical College. William Lytle gave the land and money for Cincinnati College and the Law College.

Cincinnati College closed after only six years because of money problems. But in 1835, Daniel Drake helped reopen it. This college later joined with the Cincinnati Law School.

In 1858, Charles McMicken left most of his money to the City of Cincinnati in his will. He wanted the city to use it to start a university. The Ohio government officially created the University of Cincinnati in 1870. The university's leaders then changed its name to the University of Cincinnati.

Growing Through the Years

University of Cincinnati campus in 1904, with the original McMicken Hall in the forefront.

By 1893, the university needed more space. It moved to its current location in the Heights neighborhood. As the university grew, it joined with the Cincinnati Law School. This created the University of Cincinnati College of Law. In 1896, the Ohio Medical College joined with Miami Medical College. They formed the Ohio-Miami Medical Department of the University of Cincinnati in 1909.

The university kept adding new programs. It started a Teacher's College in 1905 and a Graduate School in 1906. The Queen City College of Pharmacy also became part of UC. It is now called the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy.

In 1962, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music joined the university. In 1971, UC was one of the first schools to offer a women's studies course.

UC Today

In 1977, the University of Cincinnati officially became a state institution in Ohio.

In 1989, President Joseph A. Steger created a plan to make the university even better. Over the years, UC spent a lot of money to build new buildings and update old ones. This included new student centers, a recreation center, and improvements to the medical school.

In 2005, President Nancy L. Zimpher started the UC21 plan. This plan aimed to make Cincinnati a top urban research university. It focused on improving liberal arts education, getting more money for research, and working more with the city.

Later, Gregory H. Williams became president. He worked to expand the university's reach across Ohio. He also focused on improving academic programs and providing more scholarships. The current president of the university is Neville Pinto.

University Campuses

Main Uptown Campus

Entrance to main campus at UC

The Uptown campus is the largest part of UC. It includes the West, Medical, and Victory Parkway campuses.

West Campus

This is the main campus. It has 62 buildings on 137 acres in the Heights neighborhood. The university moved here in 1893. Most of the undergraduate colleges are on this campus. In 2010, Forbes magazine named UC one of "The World's Most Beautiful College Campuses."

Medical Campus

Vontz Center for Molecular Studies, designed by Frank Gehry, is part of the medical campus.

This campus has 19 buildings on 57 acres in the Corryville neighborhood. It's very close to the West campus. Here you'll find the colleges for Allied Health Sciences, Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy. There are also several hospitals nearby, like University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Victory Parkway Campus

This campus is about 3 miles from the main campus. It used to be home to the College of Applied Science. Now, only a few classes are taught there. A shuttle bus runs between this campus and the main campus.

Regional Campuses

An aerial view of UC Blue Ash College.

• Blue Ash College (UCBA): This campus is in Blue Ash, Ohio.
• Clermont College (CLER): This campus is in Batavia, Ohio. It used to have a part called UC East, but that closed in 2020.

UC Online

UC Online offers more than 120 different programs. Students can take these classes online from anywhere.

Special Facilities

UC also has other facilities like the Center Hill Research Facility, the Cincinnati Center for Field Studies, and the Cincinnati Observatory. The university owns the observatory, but a non-profit group runs it.

Campus Buildings and Design

The university has worked hard to have amazing buildings. Many famous architects have designed buildings on campus. UC is known for having one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

Being Green and Sustainable

The CARE/Crawley Building on the UC Academic Health Center campus.

The University of Cincinnati is a "Green College" according to The Princeton Review. This means it works hard to protect the environment. UC has a bike share program, a big recycling program, and better transportation options. It also uses less energy and water. Many of its buildings are LEED certified, which means they are built to be eco-friendly.

In 2007, the university president signed a promise to reduce UC's environmental impact. This means they are working to become "climate neutral." In 2010, UC built a special athletic facility with a chilled water tank. This tank helps cool campus buildings and saves about $1 million in energy costs each year. UC also expanded its recycling efforts, collecting over 4,600 tons of materials in 2010.

Academics at UC

University Rankings

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC among the top universities. It was tied for 203rd best global university out of 2,165 schools. It was also tied for 142nd among 394 U.S. national universities.

Colleges and Schools

The University of Cincinnati has 14 different colleges and schools:

• The College of Allied Health Sciences (CAHS)
• The University of Cincinnati College of Arts and Sciences (A&S): This is the largest college.
• The Carl H. Lindner College of Business (LCB)
• The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM): This is UC's performing arts school.
• The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP)
• College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH)
• The College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS): This college was formed when the College of Applied Science and the College of Engineering joined in 2009.
• The Graduate School: This helps manage all the programs for students studying after their first degree.
• The College of Law: This is UC's law school. William Howard Taft, who later became a U.S. President, was once its dean.
• The College of Medicine: This is UC's medical school. Albert Sabin developed the live polio vaccine here in the 1950s.
• The College of Nursing: This college was founded in 1889.
• The James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy: This college was founded in 1850.

The Tangeman University Center, designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, houses several food courts and other student amenities.

UC also has two regional campuses: Clermont College and Blue Ash College.

The university is also home to the Institute for Policy Research. This group does surveys and polls about public opinion in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Co-operative Education (Co-Op)

The University of Cincinnati was the first place to create the co-operative education (Co-Op) model. This idea was started in 1906 by Herman Schneider, who was the Dean of Engineering at the time. In a co-op program, students spend some semesters taking classes and other semesters working at a company. This way, they get over a year of real work experience before they even graduate! Many programs, especially in engineering and design, require students to do a co-op to earn their degree.

University Honors Program

Each year, about 375 top students join the University Honors Program. These students are usually in the top 5–8% of all students. To join, students typically need high scores on tests like the ACT or SAT and a strong high school GPA.

The Honors program focuses on students having "experiences." These experiences can be about community service, creativity, global studies, leadership, or research. Students might take special Honors Seminars or design their own unique projects. Students need to complete at least five experiences before they graduate.

Research at UC

UC is known as a "Doctoral University – Very high research activity." This means it does a lot of important research. In 2018, UC spent $480 million on research and development. This ranked it 54th in the nation for research spending.

University Libraries

Walter C. Langsam Library is the main library at UC.

The University of Cincinnati has 13 libraries in 11 different buildings. Together, these libraries hold over 4 million books and 70,000 magazines and journals. The main library is the Walter C. Langsam Library. UC is also part of the OhioLINK group, which connects many libraries across Ohio.

Student Life at UC

Student Housing

Campus Recreation Center Residence Hall, one of the newer dormitories on campus.

About 6,500 students live on campus in ten different residence halls. These halls offer different types of rooms, including traditional and suite styles. Students can also choose to live in special "themed" housing, like floors for honors students or those studying business or STEM subjects. In 2012, the Campus Recreation Center Housing was even named one of "10 Public Colleges with Insanely Luxurious Dorms." Almost 80% of new students live on campus during their first year.

Because so many students want to live on campus, UC has added more residence halls and rented apartments nearby. This helps make sure there's enough housing for everyone. Some of the older residence halls, like Calhoun and Siddall Hall, have also been renovated recently.

Student Programs

The Center for First-Year Experience helps new students get used to college life. This program works with different colleges and student groups to make the change from high school to college easier.

Learning communities are small groups of 20–25 students and teachers. Students in these groups take two classes together during their first year, usually based on their major. There are nearly 120 different learning communities to choose from.

UC also has a special program called the Transition and Access Program. This program helps adults with disabilities take classes, meet other students, and get work experience.

The University of Cincinnati is recognized for its focus on Community Engagement. This means the university works closely with the local community to help make it a better place.

Student Organizations

UC has over 550 registered student organizations! These groups cover everything from student government to religious groups and spirit clubs. They are overseen by Student Activities & Leadership Development (SALD). Some of the biggest groups include Club Sports, Greek Life (fraternities and sororities), and the Bearcat Bands.

The Campus Green activity space for students at UC. To the left is the Lindner College of Business, and to the right are residence halls.

Student Media

Students at UC have several ways to share news and stories. The News Record is the student newspaper. It has been around for over 130 years and is run entirely by students. Bearcast is the student-run radio station, which streams online. There's also a student television station called UCast.

Film Festival

Each year, UC hosts a 48-hour film festival. People from the public can watch films made by students and professionals. The festival often features guest speakers and filmmakers.

Greek Life

Fraternities and sororities have been at UC since 1840. Over 2,500 students are part of these groups, which is about 11% of undergraduate students. There are currently 39 social fraternities and sororities at UC.

Athletics at UC

Baseball Hall of Fame member Sandy Koufax is regarded as one of the sport's greatest pitchers.

The University of Cincinnati has 19 NCAA Division I sports teams. They are known as the "Bearcats." Since July 1, 2023, they have been members of the Big 12 Conference. Before that, they were in the American Athletic Conference and other conferences.

UC also has many club sports. Some of these, like the hockey team and rowing team, are very successful. Famous Bearcat athletes include Sandy Koufax (baseball), Oscar Robertson (basketball), and Travis Kelce (football).

National Championships

The Bearcats have won several national championships. The men's basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1961 and 1962. Individual athletes have also won national titles in swimming and diving. The UC Dance Team is very successful, winning four National Championships between 2004 and 2009. They are the winningest team in UC history! In 2009, the dance team also won gold medals at the first world dance championships.

Athletic Facilities

Nippert Stadium is home to the Cincinnati Bearcats football program.

Most of UC's athletic facilities are open 24/7 for students to use.

• Richard E. Lindner Varsity Village: This area includes training spaces, meeting rooms, and the George and Helen Smith Athletics Museum. It also has Gettler Stadium (for soccer), Trabert-Talbert Tennis Center, and UC Baseball Stadium.
• UC Baseball Stadium: Home to the baseball team.
• Armory Fieldhouse: Used by indoor track and field teams.
• Fifth Third Arena: Home to the men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams.
• Nippert Stadium: Home to UC's football team.
• Ben and Dee Gettler Stadium: Used by women's soccer and track and field teams.
• Trabert-Talbert Tennis Center: Home to the women's tennis team.
• Keating Aquatics Center: Home to the swimming and diving teams.
• Sheakley Athletics Center: A newer facility with football fields for practice. A temporary bubble is put over it in colder months.

Notable People from UC

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Cincinnati para niños