Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. The university has seven academic colleges offering about 130 undergraduate and 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 Biomedical Core research campus. As of fall 2023, 28,194 students were enrolled with 21,550 at the Flagstaff campus.

NAU is one of the three universities governed by the Arizona Board of Regents and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". NAU is ranked No. 192 in the National Science Foundation national research rankings for fiscal year 2023. NAU's astronomy faculty led the observations of the NASA DART planetary defense 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 local Lowell Observatory.

Alumni include four Truman Scholars, 11 Goldwater Scholars, and three Udall Scholars.

The NAU Lumberjacks compete in the NCAA Division I primarily as part of the Big Sky Conference, and have won six national championships in cross country running. At an elevation of 6,950 ft above sea level, the school's athletic facilities are used by Olympic and professional athletes worldwide for prestige high altitude training.

History

Northern Arizona University started as the Northern Arizona Normal School on September 11, 1899, with just 23 students and two teachers. It was one of many schools created to train teachers for public schools. The first class graduated in 1901 with four women who became teachers in Arizona.

During tough economic times like the Great Depression, the school helped students by providing jobs, such as working on a dairy farm or in the dining hall. This support helped the school grow, even during hard times.

During World War II, the university joined a special Navy training program, which helped students become Navy officers. After the war, many veterans returned to study, causing enrollment to rise again. The school also began offering more programs, such as art and science, and changed its name several times before becoming Northern Arizona University in 1966.

In 2022, José Luis Cruz Rivera became the university's 17th president. In 2023, NAU announced plans to start a medical school.

Main article: 2015 Northern Arizona University shooting

Campuses

Flagstaff campus

The Flagstaff campus of Northern Arizona University covers 829 acres of forest and includes buildings for learning, managing the school, and places to live. It sits at 6,950 feet above sea level, making it the fourth highest college campus in the country. The campus is surrounded by a huge area of ponderosa pine trees and has a climate with all four seasons. The city of Flagstaff, where the campus is located, gets a lot of snow each year. People can go skiing at Arizona Snowbowl, which is close by, and famous places like the Grand Canyon and Sedona are not far away.

For many years, the university has focused on being friendly to the environment. The campus has many buildings built to save energy and all new buildings must follow these rules. The school also collects and recycles a lot of waste, and uses wind and solar power. The president of the university promised to make the school completely neutral in terms of carbon emissions by 2030.

Statewide campuses and NAU Online

Besides the students who study at the Flagstaff campus, NAU also teaches about 8,000 students online and at locations across Arizona. The university offers more than 130 approved degree programs at over 20 places in the state. It works together with community colleges and has a partnership with Yavapai College in Prescott Valley, Arizona. The oldest and largest branch campus is in Yuma.

NAU Online provides more than 140 fully-online choices for students, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, and minors.

Academics

Colleges and programs

Northern Arizona University (NAU) has eight colleges and is still building a ninth one. It offers over 130 undergraduate degrees, more than 80 master’s degrees, and about 20 doctoral degrees. There are also many certificates available.

Some of the most popular undergraduate majors include Psychological Sciences, Nursing, Biomedical Science, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Biology, and Elementary Education.

College of Arts and Letters

The College of Arts and Letters includes departments such as Art, Comparative Cultural Studies, English, Global Languages and Cultures, History, Philosophy, Music, and Theatre. It also manages the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum and other important places for learning and performances.

College of Education

The College of Education offers programs for early childhood, elementary, secondary, and higher education. Subjects include Educational Leadership, Educational Psychology, STEM Education, and Teaching and Learning.

Steve Sanghi College of Engineering

This college was named after Steve Sanghi after he donated $10 million in 2024. It offers many engineering majors and has special labs for research.

College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences

This college includes departments like Astronomy and Planetary Science, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Forestry. Students can use special research centers and observatories.

College of Health and Human Services

This college prepares students for health professions and serves communities, especially in Arizona. It offers degrees in Athletic Training, Communication Sciences, Dental Hygiene, and more.

College of Medicine

The university created the College of Medicine in 2023.

College of Nursing

In 2023, the School of Nursing became its own college.

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This college offers many social science degrees, such as Anthropology, Communication, Criminology, and Psychology. It also has programs to help students serve their communities.

W.A. Franke College of Business

The W.A. Franke College of Business was renamed after Bill Franke donated $25 million in 2007. It offers business degrees and many business programs and certifications.

School of Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM)

The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management offers degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Hospitality. It has special labs and classrooms for learning.

Honors College

NAU has the first Honors program in Arizona. It offers special courses and opportunities for all students, including study abroad and living in the Honors Hall.

Graduate College

The Graduate College offers many master’s and doctoral degrees, both online and in person. It supports graduate students with mentoring and research opportunities.

Research

NAU is known for its research and is ranked among the top universities for research. It has many labs and centers for studying the environment, health, and more. NAU also uses special telescopes for astronomy research.

Rankings

NAU is ranked among the top universities in the world and in the U.S. It is especially recognized for its contribution to the public good, research, and service.

Admissions

In 2022, NAU started a new admissions program to help more Arizona students attend college. The program makes it easier for students who haven’t taken certain required courses.

Tuition and fees

The cost for students who live in Arizona and study full-time at Northern Arizona University was about $12,652 for the 2023–24 school year, while students from outside Arizona paid about $28,900. NAU has special programs that help students from western U.S. states pay less for their studies.

In April 2022, NAU started a program called Access2Excellence. This program helps Arizona students from families earning $65,000 or less to attend college without paying tuition. It also helps members of Arizona’s federally recognized tribes, no matter their income. About half of Arizona families qualify for this help.

Native American initiatives

Northern Arizona University wants to be the best university for Indigenous Peoples in the United States. To help with this, they have many programs and a special building called the Native American Cultural Center. This building is a place where Indigenous students can gather and learn more about their culture. The university also has an Office of Native American Initiatives that helps Indigenous students and communities with various programs.

Martin-Springer Institute

The Martin-Springer Institute started at Northern Arizona University in 2000. It helps people learn about human rights by remembering the Holocaust and teaching about it. The institute was created by Doris Martin, a person who survived the Holocaust, and her husband Ralph Martin. The institute invites speakers, holds workshops, and creates exhibitions. It also supports research and offers learning programs for teachers in Arizona.

Residence halls

NAU offers places to live for nearly 10,500 students on its campus.

Freshmen can stay in halls like Allen Hall, Campbell Hall, and Sechrist Hall, which is the tallest building in northern Arizona. Older students, such as sophomores, juniors, and seniors, have options for suite-style or apartment living. These include places like Calderón, Campus Heights, and McKay Village.

Families living on campus go to schools in the Flagstaff Unified School District, including Kinsey Elementary School, Mount Elden Middle School, and Flagstaff High School. Some upper-class students can also live in special housing run by American Campus Communities, such as The Suites and Hilltop Townhomes.

Athletics

Main article: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

Student-athletes at Northern Arizona University compete in many sports, including football for men and volleyball, soccer, golf, and swimming for women. Both men and women also play basketball, cross country, track and field, and tennis. The university has 15 teams, and many games happen at the Walkup Skydome, a big stadium used for many sports and events.

A new $47 million center for athletes opened in 2022, offering spaces for workouts, classes, and team meetings. The Lumberjacks play at the NCAA Division I level, with football in the Football Championship Subdivision. They are part of the Big Sky Conference for most sports. The team has won several NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships recently, showing great success in running events. Because of the high altitude, NAU’s facilities are sometimes used by athletes training for endurance sports.

Student body and on-campus activities

NAU has over 400 groups for students to join, including clubs for studying, helping others, and having fun. There are also sports games where students can play together, a student newspaper called The Lumberjack, and groups living in the dorms.

The Advanced Media Lab is a big space where students can work on cool projects like making movies, using drones, and creating video games. Students also run their own news shows, radio station, and TV channel. They make short films and even have their own cable channel that plays 24 hours a day.

The school has many places for students to stay active, like a big gym with a climbing wall and a track. There are also lots of teams students can join to play sports together, like soccer, hockey, and even Quidditch! The school band, the Lumberjack Marching Band, plays at football games and was invited to perform in a big parade. The school also has movies, concerts, and fun events for students to enjoy.

Alumni

The NAU Alumni Association represents more than 160,000 graduates. Among these alumni are two governors of Arizona, one U.S. senator, one U.S. representative, two U.S. ambassadors, one Medal of Honor recipient, and 16 Olympians. The university also counts four Truman Scholars, 11 Goldwater Scholars, and three Udall Scholars among its former students.

Professional sports

The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL used to hold their summer training at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff until 2013. After that, they moved their training to Glendale. Starting in 2014, NAU began working with the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, teams in the NBA and WNBA.