dmu.edu
Set on a mission to make its mark as the health sciences university of the future, Des Moines University is constructing an entirely new campus, scheduled to welcome students in 2023. One feature of the new 88- acre site would be especially interesting to geologists: a hillside there marks the edge of advancement of the Wisconsin glacier. This site in central Iowa was the final resting spot of the outer lobe of the glacier as it traveled down North America 10,000 years ago.
But students who choose DMU are more interested in health than geology. Within its three health sciences colleges, the school offers eight graduate degrees in as many distinct programs: osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, anatomy, and biomedical sciences, as well as online programs in health care administration and public health. In addition to offering a high standard of professional education, the university provides excellent patient care at the associated DMU Clinic.
The 122-year-old school is especially proud of its reputation as a safe, welcoming place for diverse students. Women compose more than 50 percent of the student body, and the school supports several programs that promote diversity and cultural competency. One, the Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars program (Health PASS), focuses on preparing undergraduates to go on in the health sciences. DMU provides meals, accommodations, and a travel stipend to participants. There is funding available for students of all backgrounds and one source, the Glanton Scholarship Fund, exclusively benefits minority students.
Activities organized by the school’s various clubs, special interest groups, and student government associations make for a lively campus. Many of these groups are associated with a field of professional studies, and there are ample opportunities to volunteer in the local community. Beyond the campus, greater Des Moines is home to 12 other colleges and universities and offers accessible cultural resources and recreational opportunities in its 130 parks. Even better, the city, which was named “one of the 18 coolest places to live in America” by Men’s Journal, is reasonably priced and easy to navigate.
ecsu.edu
An important sign that the star of Elizabeth City State University is rising is the grants the school attracts. In fiscal year 2020, the school was awarded 40 grants totaling more than $15 million. Among them are awards that bring research opportunities to campus and support expanding labs and other facilities. Ongoing research is described in the school’s annual BEYOND research magazine.
Part of the University of North Carolina system, ECSU is a historically Black institution that offers 30 academic programs to a diverse student body of more than 1,700, who are pursuing undergraduate, professional, and master’s degrees. The studentfaculty ratio is 16 to one. The school is also one of three campuses that are part of the North Carolina Promise program committed to offering an affordable, high-quality education. Under this program, tuition for in-state students has been reduced to $500 per semester ($2,500 for out-of-state students). That means more students — including online students — will graduate with less debt. ECSU was named the number one most affordable public HBCU in the country by Student Loan Hero (2018).
ECSU is in the historic Albemarle region of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, a location that offers abundant cultural resources. The campus is also not far from the popular Outer Banks and its many varied opportunities for enjoying activities outdoors.
The 114-acre campus itself is surrounded by residential neighborhoods. In addition, the school has a more than 600-acre site nearby for wetlands research, and a site in Utah used for geology instruction. The school was founded in 1891 and the quadrangle and six surrounding buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But not all the facilities evoke the past. The two-story, L-shaped Information Technology Center houses both classrooms and labs, the Jenkins Science Center is home to the departments of math and science and technology, and the $26 million pharmacy complex is nearby. The campus also offers facilities for sports, wellness activities, and the arts. ECSU athletic teams, known as the Vikings, compete in the Division II level. Several alumni have gone on to participate in professional sports.
mtu.edu
Together the seven colleges at Michigan Technological University in Houghton offer degree programs in the sciences, engineering, technology, mathematics, and forestry, as well as arts, humanities, and social sciences. The College of Engineering alone offers nine programs. And because the school consistently appears on “best value” lists as well as on solid academic rankings, students can be confident that this publicly supported institution represents a sound investment in their future.
Located near Lake Superior on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the university got its start at the end of the 19th century training engineers for the region’s copper mines. That tradition continues, with an up-to-the-minute major in mining engineering. But the school has grown considerably since those first degree candidates enrolled in 1885.
Today Michigan Tech offers 125 degree programs as well as certificates, with several courses and certificate programs available online. Undergraduates can also opt for the accelerated master’s program, earning that degree in one year of study beyond the bachelor’s. The school has grown to be a major research center for undergraduates, graduate students, and PhD candidates, spending more than $80 million on projects at 18 official research centers and institutes. Research partners include institutions like the NSF, NASA, and the EPA. Undergraduates alone clocked more than 125,000 paid research hours in 2019.
The competitive Pavlis Honors College offers opportunities to customize an honors curriculum leading to graduating with honors. Enterprise at Michigan Tech teams students to work together on pioneering solutions to real-world problems — like COVID-19.
The campus setting on Ojibwe land is a beautiful spot that isn’t really on the way to anything — which means that people who study and teach at Michigan Tech want to be there. Students stick around on weekends and the campus is lively, with sports — the school operates its own ski and snowboard hill — art events, and student activities. Varsity athletic “Huskie” teams are NCAA Division II, except for men’s ice hockey, which is Division I. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion offers a space to meet and staff to help students access resources, and among the 250 student organizations is an AISES College Chapter.