The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U of M, U-M, UM, UMich, or simply Michigan) is a public research university located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It is the state’s oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan system. It also includes two regional campuses in Flint and Dearborn.
The university was founded in 1817 in Detroit as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, about 20 years before the Michigan Territory officially became a state. The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha) of what is now known as Central Campus.Since its establishment in Ann Arbor, the university has physically expanded to include more than 500 major buildings with a combined area of more than 29 million square feet (664 acres or 2.69 km²), and transformed its academic program from a strictly classical curriculum to one that includes science and research During the 20th century and early 2000s, UM was the site of much student activism and was a focal point in the controversy over affirmative action within higher education admissions.
A walk across the University of Michigan campus is an absorbing experience. The atmosphere is palpable, rich with the spirit of potential, the heritage of past achievements, and the vitality of inquiry and discovery.
So much happens here.
The University of Michigan holds the promise of a different life: A sophomore discovers Thoreau and Woolf. A research scientist identifies a critical gene. A heart patient lives longer and better. An artist creates unforeseen beauty. A professor hones a revolutionary theory. An athlete achieves a championship dream.
It is this breadth of accomplishment and activity in Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint – and beyond – that separates Michigan from other institutions. Students, faculty and staff from all fields have the opportunity to explore, excel, and achieve more here than they would have thought imaginable.
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