University of Denver facts for kids
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Former name
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Colorado Seminary (1864–1880) |
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| Motto | Pro Scientia et Religione (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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"For Knowledge and Spirit" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | 1864 |
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Religious affiliation
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Nonsectarian; founded by Methodists |
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Academic affiliation
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| Endowment | $1.02 billion (2023) |
| Chancellor | Jeremy Haefner |
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Academic staff
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782 (2022 Fall) |
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Administrative staff
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1,773 (2022 Fall) |
| Students | 13,735 (2022 Fall) |
| Undergraduates | 6,152 (2022 Fall) |
| Postgraduates | 7,583 (2022 Fall) |
| Location |
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United States
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| Campus | Urban/residential, 125 acres (51 ha) |
| Newspaper | The DU Clarion |
| Colors | Crimson and Gold |
| Nickname | Pioneers |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – The Summit NCHC (Men's Hockey) |
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The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university located in Denver, Colorado. It was started in 1864, making it the oldest independent private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. DU is known for its high level of research. Around 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students attend the university. The main campus is about 125 acres and is like a park with many trees, called an arboretum. It is located about five miles south of downtown Denver. There is also a larger mountain campus, about 110 miles northwest of Denver.
Contents
History of DU
In March 1864, John Evans started the Colorado Seminary. He was the Governor of the Colorado Territory at the time. Denver was a new mining town when the school was founded. The school was originally planned as the Denver Seminary, but its name was changed before it officially opened.
The seminary was open to everyone, no matter their religion. It was run by the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school faced challenges in its early years. In 1880, its name was changed to the University of Denver. The first university buildings were in downtown Denver. However, people thought the busy city was not the best place for learning. So, the university moved to its current campus. This land was given by a potato farmer named Rufus Clark. It was about six miles south of downtown. The university grew as Denver grew. Before World War II, most students came from the local area. After the war, many soldiers used the G.I. Bill to attend college. This caused DU's student numbers to grow to over 13,000. This helped the university become known across the country.
Campus Buildings
The university campus has many old and important buildings. The oldest building is University Hall, which has been used since 1890. It was built in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque. The first stone of this building is exactly one mile above sea level. Close to campus is the historic Chamberlin Observatory, which opened in 1894. It is still used today and is open to the public often.
The campus also has Evans Memorial Chapel. This small church was built in the 1870s and used to be in downtown Denver. It was moved to the DU campus in the 1960s. Buchtel Tower (built in 1913) is all that is left of the old Buchtel Chapel, which burned down in 1983.
The main offices are in the Mary Reed Building. This building used to be a library and was built in 1932. Margery Reed Hall was built in 1929. It holds the undergraduate program for the Daniels College of Business. This building was updated in 2014 to have more classrooms and a larger hall.
F.W. Olin Hall opened in 1997. It is home to the Biological and Natural Sciences departments. This building was the first on campus to follow new design rules. These rules focused on strong brickwork and classic looks. Olin Hall has a two-story round room with a copper dome on top.
The Daniels College of Business building was finished in 1999. It cost $25 million to build. This business school is recognized by magazines like Forbes and Business Week. It is known for teaching students strong ethical standards.
In 2002, the university opened the Robert and Judi Newman Center for Performing Arts. This center is home to the Lamont School of Music. It has a concert hall, a recital hall with a large organ, and a flexible theater space. The Newman Center also hosts many professional performing arts groups.
Nelson Hall opened in 2002. It is a residence hall for sophomore students. Its design looks like a castle, and it has a gold-topped tower.
In 2003, DU opened a new building for its College of Law. It was later named the "Sturm College of Law." This building includes a large, three-story library.
In 2005, the Graduate School of Social Work finished updating its building, now called Craig Hall. This building has beautiful stained glass art and a large space for events.
In 2006, DU opened a new building for the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. This building has classrooms, a wine cellar, and dining rooms. The school helps DU be one of the top hotel schools in the United States.
Nagel Hall, a five-story residence hall, was completed in 2008. It has a tower with a large copper cone on top. This building is home to students and offices for the Psychology Department. It was certified as "Gold" in LEED standards for its environmentally friendly design.
DU also built the Peter S. Barton lacrosse-only stadium in 2005. The Ciber Field Soccer Stadium opened in 2010. These are on the north end of campus.
The Morgridge College of Education building opened in 2010. It was designed to be environmentally friendly.
In 2011, the Penrose Library closed for a big renovation. It reopened in 2013 as the Anderson Academic Commons. This is a modern space for studying and working together.
In 2016, the Anna & John J. Sie International Relations Complex opened. This building has classrooms, offices, and an event space. It also has a blue-tiled tower that stands out on the campus.
Also in 2016, the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science opened. This building has classrooms, labs, and offices. It is known for its zinc and limestone dome.
In 2018, the university started a plan to improve the campus buildings. As part of this plan, the Dimond Family Residential Village opened in 2020 for first-year students. The Burwell Center for Career Achievement also opened.
In 2021, the new Community Commons opened. This building is a student union and has the main dining hall. It has a copper outside and a rooftop deck.
The university has six residence halls for students. Johnson McFarlane Hall (JMac) is the oldest co-ed dorm in the western United States. It is also very energy efficient.
In 2021, the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus was announced. This new campus was made possible by a large gift from a former student.
Academics at DU
Rankings
| ARWU World | 901–1000 |
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| ARWU National | 193–206 |
| THES World | 351–400 |
| USNWR National University | 105 |
| Washington Monthly National University | 228 |
| Forbes | 140 |
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USNWR graduate school rankings |
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| Business | 68 |
| Education | 83 |
| Engineering | 173 |
| Law | 80 |
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USNWR departmental rankings |
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| Clinical Psychology | 50 |
| English | 99 |
| Fine Arts | 124 |
| Library & Information Studies | 35 |
| Psychology | 97 |
| Social Work | 11 |
The Daniels College of Business, which is the undergraduate business program, was ranked 87th best in 2016 by BusinessWeek.
Programs and Schools
DU offers many different subjects to study. These are organized into colleges and schools:
- College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
- College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
- Daniels College of Business
- Sturm College of Law
- University College
- Morgridge College of Education
- Graduate School of Professional Psychology
- Graduate School of Social Work
- Josef Korbel School of International Studies
- Lamont School of Music
- Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science
DU also has special centers and institutes for research and learning:
- Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS)
- Conflict Resolution Institute
- Center for China-US Cooperation
- Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research
- Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy
- Center for Judaic Studies
- Edward W. & Charlotte A. Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media
- Pardee Center for International Futures
Some programs combine different subjects:
- Cognitive Neuroscience (Psychology and Biology)
- Video Game Design (Computer Science and Emergent Digital Practices)
- International Intercultural Communication M.A.
More than half of the students at DU are in graduate programs.
Most of the university uses a "quarter system." This means the school year is split into three 10-week terms. This allows students to take more classes each year compared to schools with a traditional semester system.
The Cherrington Global Scholars program helps undergraduate students study abroad. It covers the cost of tuition, room, and board, so students do not pay extra.
The Daniels School of Business also offers an online MBA program.
Study Abroad
In the 2017–18 school year, about 77.5 percent of DU students studied abroad. This made DU third in the nation for study abroad participation. Students learn more about different cultures and their own cultural views. Popular places for DU students to study are the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. Many also go to Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland. The Office of International Education helps students plan their study abroad trips.
University Magazines
The University of Denver Magazine is published four times a year.
The Denver Quarterly was started in 1966 by novelist John Edward Williams. It is published by the English & Literary Arts Department at the University of Denver. The Denver Quarterly has published poems by many different poets.
Student Life: Fraternities and Sororities
The University of Denver has had fraternities and sororities for over 130 years. These groups are part of student life.
| Interfraternity Council chapters | Multicultural Greek Council chapters | Panhellenic Association chapters |
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The University of Denver also has the Omega Lambda Chapter of Order of Omega. This group recognizes leaders in fraternities and sororities.
Sports at DU
DU's sports teams are called the Denver Pioneers. The school has had sports teams since 1867. They have won 35 NCAA Division One titles since 1949. This puts them among the top 15 schools for national titles. Denver is especially good at winter sports, like skiing and ice hockey. DU has won 24 NCAA national team skiing championships, which is more than any other school. Ice hockey is DU's most popular sport. They have won 10 NCAA titles, most recently in 2024. The team often sells out the 6,000-seat Magness Arena on campus. This arena is part of the Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness.
The Pioneers' main sports groups changed in July 2013. Denver moved its main group from the Western Athletic Conference to The Summit League. The hockey team moved to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The men's lacrosse team moved to the Big East Conference. The women's lacrosse team also moved to the Big East Conference in 2017. In 2019, they reached the Elite 8 (quarterfinals) of the NCAA tournament. The women's gymnastics team joined the Big 12 Conference in 2015.
The Pioneers won the national championship in men's lacrosse in 2015. They beat Maryland 10–5. They were the first Division I men's team west of the Appalachians to win a lacrosse national championship. The 2016 men's soccer team made it to the NCAA College Cup.
Famous Alumni and Faculty
Alumni
Faculty
- Robert Davine (1924–2001) - A professor of Accordion and Music Theory. He started one of the main college programs for accordion performance at the university's Lamont School of Music.
- Maciej Kumosa - A professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering. He is also the Director of the Center for Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Denver para niños
