The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883 in Grand Forks, then a settlement in the Dakota territory. It has prospered and grown to an enrollment of over 13,000 students of which more than 1,200 are in the Graduate School. The University of North Dakota is the state's largest institution of higher learning and is nationally recognized for its quality of education. It is fully accredited by the North Central Association of American Universities and is a charter member of the Council on Graduate Study in the United States.

The main campus area of 472 acres contains more than 100 major buildings with a total space of 3.5 million sq. ft. Institutional diversity and comprehensiveness is reflected by the fact that instruction is offered through 65 departments organized into 10 degree-granting colleges and schools. The University is unique because it offers the friendliness of a small campus and the wide study program of a large university.

A wide range of opportunities for cultural enrichment, recreation, and entertainment is available on the campus. The opening of the Hughes Fine Arts Center in 1974 and the Chester Fritz Auditorium in 1972 has greatly enhanced the presentation of a wide variety of cultural and entertainment events. Along with Burtness Theater, these facilities provide an extensive schedule of plays, concerts, recitals, lectures and other programs. Frequent art exhibits are available in the North Dakota Museum of Art. Some of the most exciting collegiate ice hockey in the United States is played at the University of North Dakota. Winning men's teams in hockey and football and women's teams in basketball are a tradition as well.



NORTH DAKOTA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

The University is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, a city of approximately 50,000 located at the junction of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River, on the border between Minnesota and North Dakota. The adjacent city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, and the nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base add another 15,000 residents to the area. The city is 320 miles northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul, 75 miles south of the United States-Canada international boundary, and 150 miles south of Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city of more than 500,000. Located in the broad and fertile Red River Valley, once Glacial Lake Agassiz, Grand Forks is the center of one of the richest agricultural areas in the world. To the west lies the prairie dotted with potholes, the central flyway for migratory waterfowl. To the east is the rolling wooded lake country of Minnesota. Grand Forks is located on U.S. Highways 2 and 81 and Interstate 29. It is served by three bus lines, one railroad, and airlines.

The greater Grand Forks area is an excellent place to live, and is noted for safety, friendliness, low stress, minimal commuting, and excellent schools. Summer temperatures are pleasant, seldom rising above 90 F (32 C), and the air normally is not humid. The average annual precipitation is about 20 inches with one-quarter of that as snow. Both winter and summer are noted for the number of days with bright and sunny weather.

Grand Forks is in the heart of an outdoor recreation area. For the outdoor person, fishing in the nearby rolling, wooded lake country of Minnesota is unsurpassed, while goose, duck and big game hunting are excellent in North Dakota. Superb outdoor recreation is always available, and this includes swimming, water skiing, snowmobiling, cross country and downhill skiing. Many cultural events take place in Grand Forks and the entertainment centers of Winnipeg and Minneapolis-St. Paul. A weekend in Minneapolis may include attendance at such events as the Minneapolis Symphony, the internationally-acclaimed Guthrie Theater, visits to any of the numerous art galleries, including the Walker Art Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, or the Minnesota Vikings football and the Minnesota Twins baseball games.

LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS

Student living facilities at the University include University residence halls, furnished and unfurnished single-student apartments, and family apartments. Residence Halls include a co-ed hall reserved for students doing post-graduate work or who are 21 or older. Rates are exceptionally reasonable. These University-maintained units are located close to the main campus area and parking facilities are provided. Information about and applications for the apartments may be obtained from the UND Housing Office, P.O. Box 9029, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202. Off-campus housing is generally available and relatively inexpensive; however, for fall semester, arrangements for off-campus accommodations should be made by midsummer.

THE UNIVERSITY and COMMUNITY
The University of North Dakota is located in Grand Forks , in eastern North Dakota .  The greater Grand Forks area (Grand Forks, Grand Forks Air force Base , East Grand Forks, MN , and surrounding area) has a population of nearly 80,000. The University was founded in 1883 and is the largest and oldest institution of higher education in the state. The current enrollment is about 13,000, of which 14% are in the Graduate School .

Greater Grand Forks Links:

Grand Forks Visitor Center
Grand Forks Herald
Grand Forks Quality of Life

Arts and Entertainment:

Chester Fritz Auditorium
North Dakota Museum of Art
Empire Arts Center
Alerus Center
Ralph Engelstad Arena