We are smart, spirited, and seeking solutions.

Those words say a lot about the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Sure, they capture the essence of the place. But that one sentence conveys who we are in a way that may not be obvious to anyone who hasn’t experienced our University firsthand.

It’s not pretentious, for starters. There are no lofty phrases intended to impress others with our erudition.

It’s authentic. Not only does it distill who we are, it describes us in words that everyone can understand. That’s because University of Louisiana at Lafayette is all about inclusion. It strives to bring everyone to the same table, so to speak. (Expect food analogies from a university that’s in the heart of the place that Cajun food originates.) Our University doesn’t embrace diversity; it celebrates diversity. It doesn’t nod “hello” to strangers and keep walking. It invites strangers inside for a cup of coffee.

By now, you should have gotten the hint that the University of Louisiana at Lafayette isn’t an ordinary university. It’s not a school of almost higher education.

We’re the second-largest university in Louisiana, with over 19,000 students, and offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Our offerings range from the humanities to hard sciences, and we are among the nation’s leaders in areas such as computer science, environmental biology, and nursing. We are among the top 180 universities in the United States in R&D expenditures. And we are the only university in the world whose sports teams are the Ragin’ Cajuns®; our student-athletes compete at the highest level of NCAA competition.