Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university and the flagship institution of the University of Nebraska system. Founded in 1869 as a land-grant university, UNL has since grown to become one of the largest universities in the nation with an enrollment of over 25,000 students. The university is classified as an R1 Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and is home to nine colleges and over 200 academic programs.
UNL’s research expenditures totaled $258 million in FY 2018, ranking it 132nd nationally. The university is also a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).Notable alumni include astronauts Clayton Anderson and Roger Crouch; Nobel laureate Harold E. Edgerton; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Willa Cather; actors Gabrielle Union and Nick Nolte; architect James Polshek; businesspeople Warren Buffett, Philip Anschutz, and Walter Scott Jr.; politicians Ben Nelson, Chuck Hagel, Bob Kerry, Dave Heineman, Mike Johanns, John McCain III, Deb Fischer, Don Stenberg, Jeff Fortenberry; writers Mari Sandoz and Bess Streeter Aldrich; artist Edward Hopper; musician Phillip Phillips; basketball player Eric Piatkowski; football players Johnny Rodgers and Neil Smith; Olympic gold medalist swimmer Matt Grevers; volleyball player Jordan Larson; among others