UNC offers students the best educational experience in Colorado, not just because we have amazing academic programs, but also because our professors are talented, innovative teachers who bring research to students in the classroom and in the field. By connecting teaching and research UNC offers students a unique experience with 200 undergraduate and graduate programs on-campus, off-campus and online.

A 4-year doctoral-granting university, UNC is uniquely positioned to advance knowledge through discovery because of its just-right size, expert faculty and tradition of research and hands-on learning.

The history of The University of Northern Colorado begins in the late 1880s, when citizens of Greeley petitioned the Colorado government to create a school to educate teachers in their community. In April 1889 Governor Cooper signed a bill establishing the Colorado State Normal School. Classes began in October of the next year.

The university opened on October 6, 1890, as the Colorado State Normal School to train qualified teachers for the state’s public schools, with a staff of four instructors and 96 students. Greeley’s citizens raised the money for the first building.

In 1911 the school’s name was changed to Colorado State Teachers College and two years later, in 1913, graduate courses were added to the school’s curriculum, leading to a name change in 1935, when the school became the Colorado State College of Education.

The school continues to grow, and in 1957 the name was shortened to Colorado State College to reflect the wider range of programs and degrees. Finally, in 1970 the name was changed to the current University of Northern Colorado.