Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Founded in 1899, it was the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. NAU is one of the three universities governed by the Arizona Board of Regents and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. As of fall 2022, 28,090 students were enrolled at NAU with 21,411 at the Flagstaff campus. The university is divided into seven academic colleges offering about 130 undergraduate degrees, 100 graduate programs, and various academic certificates. Students can take classes and conduct research in Flagstaff, online, and at more than 20 statewide locations, including the Phoenix Bioscience Core, formerly known as the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. The university is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and ranked No. 178 in the National Science Foundation (NSF) national research rankings for fiscal year 2021. NAU's astronomy faculty led the observations of the NASA DART mission, co-discovered several astronomical bodies such as Eris and Sedna, and are major participants in the search for the hypothetical Planet Nine. The university is a primary institution of the Lowell Observatory, with Flagstaff being designated as one of only 22 Dark-Sky cities worldwide. The NAU Lumberjacks compete in the NCAA Division I, primarily as part of the Big Sky Conference, and have won several national championships, notably in cross country running. At an elevation of above sea level, the school's athletic facilities are used by Olympic and professional athletes worldwide for prestige high altitude training.