DU is a medium-sized private institution with 5,700 undergrads and a roughly equal grad population. It is located in Denver’s university neighborhood with a campus that is 9 blocks x 4 blocks taking about 20 minutes to walk end to end. About 30 new buildings were opened in recent decades representing a strong culture of reinvestment. These new buildings are gorgeous! I found it super interesting that 64% of students come from 500+ miles away, and half of the incoming class is the only person from their high school at DU. This helps foster their strong sense of community as everyone is looking to meet new people. 18% of students are first-generation college students, and they are a state-designated first-gen certificate institution. DU operates on the quarter system consisting of three 10-week terms. School starts after Labor Day, finals are before Thanksgiving, so students have a long winter break from that time until after the New Year, and school concludes by early June. Students take 4 classes per quarter (so, 12/year versus 10 on a semester system); this allows for more variety and flexibility with less depth per course.

DU prides themselves on the 4D Experience which is a framework encompassing Intellect, Character/Ethics, Well-being, and Career/Purpose. These aspects are not siloed; rather they are integrated into the curriculum and are embedded across all four years. They truly care about nurturing their students and forming deep connections with them.