University of Louisiana at Lafayette

History

Lafayette is the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a state-of-the-art institution of higher learning providing educational opportunities for students from throughout the United States and the world. UL Lafayette offers a world of scholastic achievement coupled with a leisurely and unique cultural richness, one spiced with the unique Cajun and Creole traditions found exclusively in South Louisiana.

When UL Lafayette first opened its doors to 145 students in 1901, it was primarily a trade school. Originally called SLI (Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute), UL-Lafayette reflected this early role. Now, UL Lafayette has exceeded 17,000 in enrollment with students from 75 countries. UL Lafayette is large enough to offer 115 degree programs yet small enough to get to know fellow colleagues and professors on a personal basis. The university is known as a truly friendly campus and enjoys the most diversified student body in the state.

Campus

The campus is unique and beautiful with its tree-lined landscape of oak and cypress trees. Students gather to relax, socialize and study around UL Lafayette's artistically designed Quadrangle or along the famous Cypress Lake, a natural Louisiana swamp stocked with alligators and other wildlife.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette owns a total of about 1,400 acres from its main campus to the Cajundome. The university maintains 274 campus buildings that have a total of about 4 million square feet. UL Lafayette’s Edith Garland Dupré Library is one of the most technologically advanced university libraries in Louisiana.

Academics

Currently, UL Lafayette is composed of ten colleges: College of the Arts, B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Engineering, College of General Studies, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing, Ray P. Authement College of Sciences, Graduate School, and University College.

All undergraduate programs at the university that are eligible for accreditation by professional agencies are accredited.

The Carnegie Foundation has designated UL Lafayette as a “Research University with High Research Activity.” That puts UL Lafayette in the same category as Clemson, Auburn, and Baylor universities. The only other Louisiana institution in the same category is the University of New Orleans.

UL Lafayette is a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, which is composed of members from more than a dozen southeastern states and the District of Columbia. Other members include Duke, Vanderbilt, and Auburn universities.

An education at UL Lafayette involves a combination of devotion to academic work, various cultures, and friendly environment. Students considering an academic career at UL Lafayette can get a first-rate education at an attractive cost. UL Lafayette rates are comparatively low, and the university offers a strong program of financial assistance.