University of Delaware
Former names | Free School (1743–1765) Newark Academy (1765–1833) Newark College (1833–1843) Delaware College (1843–1921) Women's College of Delaware (1914–1921) |
|---|---|
| Motto | Scientia Sol Mentis Est (Latin) |
Motto in English | "Knowledge is the light of the mind" |
| Type | Privately governed, state-assisted land-grant research university |
| Established | 1743 (officially chartered 1769; became a college 1833) |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $1.78 billion (2022) |
| President | Dennis Assanis |
| Provost | Laura Carlson |
Academic staff | 1,328 (fall 2023) |
Total staff | 4,895 (fall 2023) |
| Students | 24,221 (fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 18,812 (fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 4,449 (fall 2023) |
Other students | 960 (fall 2023) |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | Large suburb, 1,996 acres (808 ha) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | The Review |
| Colors | Blue and gold |
| Nickname | Fightin' Blue Hens |
Sporting affiliations | (CUSA in 2025) |
| Mascot | YoUDee |
| Website | udel |
The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a privately governed, state-assisted land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers four associate's programs, 163 bachelor's programs, 136 master's programs, and 64 doctoral programs across its ten colleges and schools. The main campus is in Newark, with satellite campuses in Dover, Wilmington, Lewes, and Georgetown, Delaware. With 24,221 students as of Fall 2023, UD is the largest university in Delaware by enrollment.
UD is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". According to the National Science Foundation, UD spent $186 million on research and development in 2018, ranking it 119th in the nation. It is recognized with the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
UD students, alumni, and sports teams are known as the "Fightin' Blue Hens", commonly shortened to "Blue Hens", and the school colors are Delaware blue and gold. UD sponsors 21 men's and women's NCAA Division I sports teams and have competed in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) since 2001 except for the men's hockey team which competes in the ESCHL. The university is leaving the CAA and will join Conference USA beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year.