University of Central Florida

"UCF" redirects here. For other uses, see UCF (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with College of Central Florida.

University of Central Florida
Former names
Florida Technological University (1966–1978)
Motto"Reach for the Stars"
TypePublic research university
EstablishedJune 10, 1963; 61 years ago (1963-06-10)
FounderFlorida Legislature
Parent institution
State University System of Florida
AccreditationSACS
Academic affiliations
Endowment$228.70 million (2023)[1]
Budget$2.1 billion (2022) [2][3]
PresidentAlexander Cartwright
ProvostMichael D. Johnson
Academic staff
1,906 (fall 2020)[4]
Administrative staff
10,448 (fall 2020)[4]
Students69,320 (fall 2023)[5]
Undergraduates59,548 (fall 2023)[5]
Postgraduates9,772 (fall 2023)[5]
Location
Orlando
,
Florida
,
United States

28°36′06″N 81°12′02″W / 28.6016°N 81.2005°W / 28.6016; -81.2005
CampusLarge suburb[6]
Main: 1,415 acres (573 ha)
Total: 1,893 acres (766 ha)[7]
Other campuses
ColorsBlack and gold[8]
   
NicknameKnights
Sporting affiliations
Mascot
Websiteucf.edu

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university with its main campus in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida. With 68,442 students as of the fall 2022 semester, UCF has the fourth-largest on-campus student body of any public university in the United States. UCF is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[5]

UCF was founded in 1963 and opened its first classes in 1968 as Florida Technological University, with the mission to provide personnel educated in science, technology, engineering and math to support the growing U.S. space program at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (known at the time as Cape Kennedy Air Force Station) on Florida's Space Coast.[9] As its academic scope expanded beyond engineering and technology, Florida Tech was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978.[10] UCF continues to have space root connections, as it developed and oversees the Florida Space Institute, Robinson Observatory, manages the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, and is the leader of the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium.[11] Initial enrollment in 1968 was 1,948 students;[12] enrollment in 2022 exceeds 68,000 students from over 150 countries, all 50 states and Washington, D.C.[13][14]

Most students attend classes on the university's main campus, 13 miles (21 km) east of downtown Orlando and 35 miles (56 km) west of Cape Canaveral.[7][15] UCF offers more than 230 degrees through 13 colleges including the Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona Medical City, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in south Orlando and the city campus in downtown Orlando.[16] Since its founding, UCF has awarded more than 401,245 degrees, including over 60,000 graduate and professional degrees.[2]

Its official colors are black and gold, and the university academic seal features Pegasus, which "symbolizes the university's vision of limitless possibilities".[17] The university's intercollegiate sports teams, known as the UCF Knights and represented by mascot Knightro, compete in NCAA Division I and in the Big 12 Conference, except for Men's Soccer, which competes in the Sun Belt Conference.[18]

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2023. "U.S. and Canadian 2023 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2023 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY22 to FY23, and FY23 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student" (XLS). National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). February 15, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "UCF Facts". 2022–2023. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "UCF Facts". University of Central Florida. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "UCF Facts". 2020–21. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "UCF Facts 2023-2024". Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  6. ^ "IPEDS-University of Central Florida". Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "UCF Current Facts" (PDF). University of Central Florida Institutional Knowledge Management. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  8. ^ Colors = UCF Brand Guide. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  9. ^ "Florida Technological University created". myfloridahistory. June 10, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "For Those Who Dream of Space, UCF is the Place". ucf.edu. July 18, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "NASA FLORIDA SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM". Florida Space Grant. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  12. ^ "UCF Facts 2017-2018" (PDF). UCF.edu. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  13. ^ "International Applicants". Undergraduate Admissions. University of Central Florida. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  14. ^ "About Us | University of Central Florida". University of Central Florida. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  15. ^ "UCF Enrollment Projections 2012-17". University of Central Florida. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  16. ^ "UCF Facts 2016-2017". University of Central Florida. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  17. ^ "Where Did the Pegasus Come From?". University of Central Florida. June 1, 2009. Archived from the original on September 13, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  18. ^ "University of Central Florida History". University of Central Florida Foundation. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2007.