Undergraduate Enrollment

12,134

Points of Distinction

A federally designated minority- and Hispanic-serving institution in the fourth-largest city in the United States
• Serves many transfer and nontraditional students
• The College of Business is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, an honor achieved by only one fourth of the country’s undergraduate business schools

One of the most ethnically diverse liberal arts schools in the Southwest, the University of Houston—Downtown was founded in 1974 as one of four institutions within the University of Houston System. Since then the university has increased the number of its degree programs and now offers 48 undergraduate and 4 master’s degrees in four colleges: Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, Public Service, and Sciences and Technology. University College is the first stop for all undergraduates until they declare a major. About 12,000 students are enrolled at UHD, and the majority of them are first-generation college students. The university caters to traditional and nontraditional students, and it specializes in “hybrid” teaching methods that incorporate classroom and virtual learning to help students succeed despite demanding work schedules and busy lives.

The UHD campus is situated in the central business district, and its main entrance overlooks the north end of downtown Houston. Five buildings make up the campus and include a Student Life Center, where students congregate in the food court and recreational areas. In addition to special events throughout the year, campus life offers more than 50 student organizations that include special interest groups, honor societies, and Greek organizations. UHD also encourages students to delve into Houston’s cultural riches. Free trolleys ferry students from campus throughout downtown, and a number of routes on the city bus system stop at UHD.