Louisiana State University (LSU) is a public research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy. The current LSU main campus was dedicated in 1926, consists of more than 250 buildings situated on 2,000 acres (810 ha) of land. It includes several live oaks and magnolias along with other landscaping.
As the state’s flagship university, LSU is one of only 30 universities nationwide with the designation “land-grant”, “sea-grant”, and “space-grant” from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). LSU’s athletics department fields teams in 21 varsity sports (9 men’s, 12 women’s), and competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Southeastern Conference. With over 575 student organizations on campus including fraternities and sororities, LSU has been labeled one of the “most socially vibrant” campuses by Business Insider.