About USU

Quick Facts

USU institutions serve a diverse population of students. Thirteen of our members are Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and two are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

USU institutions are key stakeholders in the P-16 education pipeline for their greater metro areas. A majority of first-time, first-year students (62%) that enroll in USU institutions come from the local metro areas where our campuses are located.

USU institutions are deeply committed to training and preparing a workforce of urban teachers. Collectively, USU members prepare more than 20% of the nation's future urban educators. Each year approximately 50% of graduates from our teacher preparation programs are placed in schools in the same metro areas where our institutions are located.

A majority of graduates from USU institutions continue to live and work in the same greater metro areas where they attended college. Of people who graduated from USU campuses between 1996 and 2006, 64% currently live in the same metro area as their alma mater.

USU institutions are leaders in community engagement and outreach. Twenty-one of our members were awarded competitive grants from the Department of Housing & Urban Development's Community Outreach Partnerships Centers program. Nineteen of our members were named as part of the 2nd annual 2007 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In 2007, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's new classification for community engagement included 10 USU institutions. Five USU institutions are among the list of 25 schools identified as "Saviors of our Cities", by the president of the New England Board of Higher Education, for their economic and social benefit to their communities.

USU institutions are economic drivers and serve as business innovators for their metro areas. Fourteen of our members have established research parks and 18 have created formal mechanisms for linking university research capacity and expertise to their regions' economic needs. Collectively, USU institutions had a combined economic impact of over $54 billion in their communities.

USU institutions positively affect urban health by eliminating chronic diseases and health disparities. Our 14 medical schools are utilizing their capacity to produce an urban health workforce, conduct interdisciplinary research, provide clinical resources, and organize community-academic partnerships.