Colleges & Universities
Public, Coed
Institution
220
Programs Offered
28,600
Student Population
$2.24 billion
Economic Impact
Since its first classes were held on campus in 1957, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has transformed from a small branch campus into a thriving research university, becoming an indispensable resource in one of the country’s most enterprising cities. As a comprehensive research university, UNLV offers more than 220 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree programs. These include internationally and nationally recognized programs in hotel administration, engineering, business, creative writing, conflict resolution, legal writing, and nursing. UNLV has professional degrees in law, architecture, and dental medicine, as well as outstanding programs in the fine and liberal arts, sciences, and education.
UNLV graduates are dedicated to meeting the challenges brought on by rapid urban growth, economic and cultural diversity, and sustainability, and overwhelmingly choose to remain in Southern Nevada. Two-thirds of UNLV’s 100,000 alumni reside here, including more than 5,000 K-12 teachers; 9,000 hotel and tourism professionals; and thousands of healthcare professionals, business owners, and managers. Eighty percent of Boyd School of Law graduates remain in state. UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine students provide more than $3.8 million in free dental services to those in need.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
Founded: 1957
Leadership: Marta Meana, Acting President
Employees: 3,341 (June 30, 2017)
Annual budget: $619 million (2016)
Program Offerings: Certificate, Bachelor’s, Post-bachelor’s certificate, Master’s, Post-master’s certificate, Doctorate – professional practice, Doctorate – research/scholarship
Website: unlv.edu
Mission
UNLV’s diverse faculty, students, staff, and alumni promote community well-being and individual achievement through education, research, scholarship, creative activities, and clinical services. We stimulate economic development and diversification, foster a climate of innovation, promote health, and enrich the cultural vitality of the communities that we serve.
Business Development
As part of its comprehensive Top Tier strategic plan, UNLV stimulates economic development and diversification and enriches the cultural vitality of our community. The university is deepening and expanding reciprocal connections with partners and leveraging unique strengths to collaborate locally, nationally, and internationally.
Popular Programs
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, 30%
Psychology, 8%
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, 6%
Health Professions and Related Programs, 6%
Social Sciences, 6%
UNLV is a leader in the new field of esports, the competitive gaming industry that combines art, science, and business. This next great wave in hospitality is poised to become a $1 billion industry, and UNLV’s International Gaming Institute is driving best practices and research to help position Nevada as a global esports hub.
The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality was named the world’s best for hospitality and leisure management by QS World University Rankings, and the William S. Boyd School of Law climbed to 59th nationwide.
U.S. News & World Report named UNLV the nation’s most diverse university for undergrads, with 57 percent of its degree-seeking undergrads identifying as part of a racial or ethnic minority.
Research and economic development activities have increased five consecutive years. Research awards jumped 27.6 percent to nearly $70 million and four new startups launched in 2017.
180
degrees and certifications
36,085
Student Population
$988.8 million
Economic Impact
As the largest and most ethnically diverse college in Nevada, The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) is this community’s college and provides affordable and collaborative postsecondary education and workforce training. CSN is a fully accredited institution offering over 180 degrees and certificates in more than 70 academic programs—with 24 degrees and certificates available entirely online. We’re also extremely accessible with three main campuses in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, as well as multiple sites and centers throughout the region.
Keeping things personal is also something we take great pride in. Our student-to-faculty ratio of 27 to 1 ensures that students get the most out of their education. Outside the classroom, we offer a variety of clubs, activities, and organizations to keep students engaged and connected. If sports are your thing, our baseball team is frequently a contender and has even taken home a national championship. Our CSN Coyotes are also proudly represented in team softball, soccer, and volleyball to round out our growing athletics department.
COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
Leadership: Frederico Zaragoza
Employees: 2,678
Annual budget: $143 million
Program Offerings: Associate’s, Bachelor’s
Campuses: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson
Website: csn.edu
Mission
CSN creates opportunities and enriches lives with inclusive learning and working environments that support diversity and student success. The College fosters economic development, civic engagement, and cultural and scientific literacy while helping students achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals.
Program Offerings
CSN is a community college, specializing in two-year associate degrees that lead directly to employment or transfer to four-year institutions. CSN has Nevada’s only Electronic Crime Investigation degree program, more commonly known as cybersecurity. CSN is also home to the largest Cisco Academy in the West.
Economic Development
CSN’s innovative Division of Workforce & Economic Development provides workforce and customized business/industry training. It is also home to the largest adult literacy and language program in the state, helping thousands of southern Nevadans earn their high school equivalency certificate (formerly known as the GED) and learn the English language.
2002
Established
45
Majors and Minors
4,212
Student Population
The college’s campus is located in Henderson, Nevada, just 15 minutes from the World-Famous Las Vegas Strip. The rapidly growing institution has added many new buildings including the school’s all-digital library, café, ballroom, student services center, executive offices, study spaces, nursing program facilities including a cadaver lab, live-streaming finance lab, and a 250-seat auditorium, and more. Campus wide, a strong commitment to the arts can be seen in over 60 paintings and sculptures that fill the hallways and common areas. With more than 500 acres of land at its disposal, NSC will live up to its calling to Be bold. Be great. Be State.
NEVADA STATE COLLEGE
Leadership: Bart Patterson, President
Employees: 414
Annual budget: $24 million (2017-18)
Program Offerings: Associate’s, Bachelor’s
Campuses: Henderson
Website: nsc.edu
Mission
At NSC, excellence fosters opportunity. Excellence in teaching leads to innovative, technology-rich learning opportunities that promote the acquisition of interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Quality, affordable four-year degree programs open the door to career success and enhanced quality of life for a diverse population of students. Our graduates, in turn, foster the greatest opportunity – the promise of a stronger community and a better future for all of Nevada.
Program Offerings
NSC has grown to offer more than 45 high-demand majors and minors. Curriculum is developed based upon the needs of communities in Nevada, business and industry, and the demands of its students. Top programs include nursing, education, business administration, biology, and psychology. Classes are offered online, in-classroom, and as a hybrid of both. NSC is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Celebrating Diversity
NSC welcomes an eclectic population of students with more than 58 percent of its students from culturally diverse backgrounds. The college has been recognized as the second fastest growing public state four-year college in the nation. It also has been identified nationally as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). Additionally, approximately 61 percent of Nevada State College students are the first generation in their families to seek higher education.
WGU Nevada was established in 2015 as a partnership between Western Governors University and the state of Nevada with a unique mission to help Nevadans obtain a quality education. When WGU was established in 1997, the founding governors realized that technology, the internet, and a new model of competency-based education could transform higher education by creating new opportunities for working adults.
The mission of WGU Nevada is to expand access to affordable higher education for Nevada residents through online, competency-based programs that address key workforce needs.
WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY, NEVADA
Leadership: Spencer Stewart, Chancellor
Enrolled: + 3,000
Program Offerings: Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s
Colleges: College of Business Online, Teacher’s College Online, College of Information Technology Online, College of Health Professions Online
Campuses: Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson
Website: csn.edu
Medical Programs
UNLV SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Leadership: Dr. Barbara Atkinson, Founding Dean
Program Offerings: Residency programs
Campuses: Las Vegas
Website: unlv.edu/medicine
Excellence Through Innovative Training
The goal of Graduate Medical Education (GME) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine is to train residents and fellows to become outstanding specialists and subspecialists. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredits 10 of the school’s residency programs.
Both residents and fellows have the opportunity to provide supervised patient care at University Medical Center (UMC), UNLV’s primary teaching hospital as well as at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, Sunrise Medical Center, Mike O’Callahan Federal Hospital and other area hospitals, surgical centers and private physician offices. These patient care experiences allow trainees to become familiar with different populations of patients and their special needs. In addition, residents and fellows spend time in the 31,000 square foot state-of-the-art Simulation Center of Las Vegas, a joint initiative through the Nevada System of Higher Education.
TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA
Leadership: Shelley Berkley, CEO & Senior Provost, Western Division
Employees: 172
Opened: 2004
Program Offerings: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences (MHS), Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS), Bachelor of Science in Nursing for RN’s (RN-BSN), Master in Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT), Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Master of Education (MEd), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees, and a post-master’s certificate in family nurse practitioner studies
Campuses: Henderson
Website: tun.touro.edu
Touro University Nevada was established to help address critical needs in health care and education, and as a resource for community service in the state of Nevada. A non-profit, Jewish-sponsored, private institution affiliated with an international system of higher education, the university opened its doors in 2004 with 78 medical students. Today, TUN is home to nearly 1,400 students in a wide range of degree programs in allied health sciences and education, as well as osteopathic medicine. Many of these programs are the first of their kind in the state of Nevada. The TUN campus is also home to both a full-service patient health clinic, staffed by practicing faculty members, and a multidisciplinary Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. In addition to serving the community through care, both facilities serve as on site learning laboratories for students across the disciplines.
ROSEMAN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Leadership: Dr. Renee E. Coffman, BS Pharm, PhD, President and Cofounder
Employees: 172
Founded: 1999
Program Offerings: College of Dental Medicine, offering an Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics/MBA residency and Doctor of Dental Medicine program; College of Pharmacy, offering a Doctor of Pharmacy and Professional Continuing Education; College of Nursing, offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing and RN to Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing; and an MBA program
Unique Value: Roseman courses are unique in that they are offered on a block style, allowing students to focus on one subject at a time, rather than multiple concurrent courses in a quarter or semester system.
Campuses: Henderson, Summerlin
Website: roseman.edu
CSN RALPH AND BETTY ENGELSTAD SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Program Offerings: Department of Nursing offers Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to Registered Nurse (RN) and Nursing (RN). The Dental Sciences, Diagnostic Evaluation & Rehabilitation Services Department offers programs for Radiation Therapy Technology, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Technician, Ophthalmic Technician, and Physical Therapy Assistant. The Department of Health Related Professions offers programs in Cardiorespiratory Sciences, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Health Information Technology, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, Surgical Technology, and Veterinary Technology.
Unique Value: The school has affiliations with more than 350 local businesses and organizations where students can apply their skills in hospitals, schools, private clinics and other real-life work settings. Those relationships help potential employers get to know students, and offer many a job pathway upon graduation.
Website: csn.edu/health-sciences
WGU COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS ONLINE
Program Offerings: B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN Online), B.S. Health Information Management, B.S. Business- Healthcare Management, M.S. Nursing – Nursing Informatics (RN–to–MSN Option), M.S. Nursing – Nursing Informatics (BSN-to-MSN Program), Master of Health Leadership, MBA Healthcare Management, M.S. Nursing – Education (RN-to-MSN Option), .S. Nursing – Education (BSN-to-MSN Program), M.S. Nursing – Leadership and Management (RN-to-MSN Option), M.S. Nursing – Leadership and Management (BSN-to-MSN Program)
Unique Value: Highly flexible programs at a very affordable price allow students to break into the dynamic healthcare industry.
Accreditation: The bachelor’s and master’s nursing degree programs at WGU are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington DC 20036, 202-887-6791). Paired with WGU’s university-wide accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), these accreditations assure your degree will be highly respected.