This is a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Nevada. The higher education system of Nevada is composed primarily of public two and four-year institutions, private four-year institutions and two and four-year for-profit schools. The largest college in the state is the College of Southern Nevada with over 37,000 students.
The eight public institutions are under the control of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) (formerly the University and Community College System of Nevada "UCCSN") and are divided into comprehensive colleges and community colleges.[1] An unusual characteristic of the community colleges is that they award bachelor's degrees in recognition of the limited resources of the state.[2]
The oldest college in the state is the University of Nevada, Reno was founded in 1874 in Elko, Nevada as a political compromise and later became a Morrill Act Land Grant institution. Following a period of inactivity, the college was re-founded in Reno, Nevada in 1886. In 1951, an extension campus was created in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1957, the extension became the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.[3] In 1971, the College of Southern Nevada was founded to serve the growing population of Nevada. The most recent public college is Nevada State University in Henderson, Nevada, which was founded in 2002.
The private colleges of Nevada are divided into non-profit and for-profit institutions, with several branches of national for-profit institutions such as the University of Phoenix.
| Name | Location | Type | Founded | Enrollment[4] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas | Four and Two year | 1971 | 37,758 | Founded as Clark County Community College, later renamed the Community College of Southern Nevada. | |
| Desert Research Institute | Reno and Las Vegas | Graduate | 1959 | 440 | Degrees awarded through the University of Nevada, Reno. | |
| Great Basin College | Elko | Four year | 1967 | 3,436 | Founded as Elko College, it was later renamed Northern Nevada College. | |
| Nevada State University | Henderson | Four year | 2002 | 3,390 | ||
| Truckee Meadows Community College | Reno | Two year | 1971 | 11,849 | Split from Western Nevada College in 1979. | |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | Paradise | Four year | 1957 | 28,515 | ||
| University of Nevada, Reno | Reno | Four year | 1874 | 21,353 | ||
| Western Nevada College | Carson City | Two year | 1971 | 4,820 | Formerly known as Western Nevada Community College. |
| Name | Location | Type | Founded | Enrollment | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National University | Henderson | Four year | 1971 | 487 | California-based nonprofit providers of adult education. One of 28 locations in Western states. | |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | Henderson | Four year | 2001 | 671 | Formerly known as Nevada College of Pharmacy, later changed to University of Southern Nevada. Most recent name change occurred in 2011 to reflect the university's large presence in Utah. | |
| Sierra Nevada University | Incline Village, Reno and Henderson | Four year and Graduate | 1969 | 833 | ||
| Touro University Nevada | Henderson | Graduate | 2004 | 1,378 | Sister colleges are located in California and New York. | |
| Wongu University of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture | Las Vegas | Four year and Graduate | 2012 | 671 | A Las Vegas Oriental Medical University and Acupuncture School approved by the Nevada State Board of Oriental Medicine. |
| Name | Location | Control | Type | Founded | Enrollment | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVry University | Henderson | For-profit | Four year | 1931 | 176 | ||
| Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts & Sciences | Las Vegas | For-profit | Two year | 1947 | 200 | ||
| Northwest Career College | Las Vegas | For-profit | Two year | 1997 | 321 | ||
| Pima Medical Institute | Paradise | For-profit | Two year | 2003 | 820 | ||
| University of Phoenix | Las Vegas | For-profit | Four year | 1976 | 3,169 |