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Welcome to the Queen City

As Bearcats, our urban identity is at the core of who we are and why we matter. We are Cincinnati-centric, constantly striving to deepen our community impact through outreach, partnerships and innovation. Cincinnati’s thriving scene of professional opportunities, artistic inspiration and social energy is what fuels us to go above and beyond.

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Campus Recreation Center, Green Space, MainStreet, Twilight, Aesthetic, Bold, Stock A view of campus at twilight from the rooftop of Morgens Hall.

Our Campus

We love talking about how beautiful our campus is, but don't take our word for it! Forbes magazine listed UC’s campus “among the world's most beautiful” for good reason. With diverse academic settings, cutting-edge labs, open green spaces and pedestrian pathways, our campus is consciously designed to promote intellectual curiosity and enhance student life. 

Schedule a visit, and we think you'll agree with The New York Times that UC has the "most ambitious campus ­design program in the country."

Block Party on Sigma Sigma Commons, part of Welcome Week 2022.

Living on Campus

Living in Campus Housing is a meaningful way to be fully immersed in all the benefits of student life. We’re proud to report that over 80% of incoming freshmen, plus many returning students, choose to do so. While UC’s campus has been internationally recognized for its beauty – its visionary, deliberate approach to fostering memorable college experiences is what truly makes it stunning.

To ensure we meet the needs of our ever-growing student population, we’re constantly evolving our campus, with our latest housing addition being our newly renovated Calhoun Hall. In less than two years, the original 172,967 square-foot building was transformed with an eco-friendly, high-tech sustainable design. The intentional layout was constructed to promote what UC is all about – student collaboration – with modern enhancements that allow students to conveniently live, study and dine as a community.

Regardless of where students live on our main campus, everyone has walking-distance access to our award-winning Campus Rec Center and Campus Dining options. 

Living on campus also makes it considerably easier to take advantage of on-site resources and organizations. After its founding in 1840, Greek Life at UC now includes more than 3,200 students – but that’s only one way to find your community on campus. UC is also home to over 500 Student Organizations that support a variety of interests. 

Learn About Campus Life
UC campus hosts ESPN GameDay and Homecoming

Our People

The University of Cincinnati is made up of a large and diverse community where thousands of students, faculty and staff from all across the globe come together to learn and live. Yes, we are a premier academic institution and a public research powerhouse, but we know it’s the people who make it so.

More than 44,000 undergraduate and graduate students across multiple campuses call UC home, and our faculty and staff are here to empower them to challenge and change the world.

From co-ops nearby to service learning overseas, we learn by doing. Every day, our students and faculty bring real-world knowledge back to the classroom, where it informs our academics and broadens our worldview.

On campus, we work to bring out the best in our community by valuing their unique backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. The following resources are all available to support students and faculty:

Cincinnati's Music Hall, as seen from Washington Park

Cincinnati City Guide

No city in the nation better aligns its essence with its environment – infusing where we are with every ounce of who we are.

With a regional population of more than 2 million, Cincinnati is home to seven Fortune 500 companies and lays claim to one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems in the nation.

Our city boasts big-city amenities – professional sports, arts, museums and cultural attractions – along with plenty of small-town charm.

The University of Cincinnati was recently featured in Season 3 of The College Tour, a Prime Video series highlighting colleges and universities worldwide. Watch to find out why Cincinnati has been ranked the #1 best city for new college grads (SmartAsset).

Cincinnati Sports

Despite the capacity being just over 40,000, UC’s Nippert Stadium rings as the third loudest college stadium in the nation, so it’s safe to say sports fans will feel right at home here. When we’re not cheering on University of Cincinnati football, you can find us rooting for one of the city’s professional teams like the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, FC Cincinnati or Cincinnati Cyclones.

Cincinnati Events and Celebrations

Stock, Nippert Stadium, Nippert West Pavilion The football team defeated UCLA at Nippert Stadium.

If there’s one thing Cincinnati is known for, it’s our celebrations. To get the full Cincinnati experience, we highly recommend marking your calendar for the following:

  • Taste of Cincinnati: Held every Memorial Day weekend, Taste of Cincinnati is a culinary arts festival featuring over 50 restaurants and food trucks serving up all sorts of delicious flavors.

  • BLINK: BLINK Cincinnati is the nation’s largest light, art, and projection mapping experience that expands across Cincinnati and beyond.

  • The Flying Pig: The Flying Pig is the third-largest first-time marathon in the United States. Held on the first Sunday of May, it’s an opportunity for athletes of all abilities to come together and support charities. 

  • Oktoberfest Zinzinnati: Did you know we’re home to the largest Oktoberfest in the United States? Celebrate the rich German heritage of southwestern Ohio with German-style food, beer and music at this longstanding traditional event. 

  • Findlay Market Opening Day Parade: Around here, we treat the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day like an unofficial holiday. Thousands of fans line up to watch this iconic parade weave through the entire city. In 2023, the parade will kick off when the Cincinnati Reds schedule begins on March 30th.

  • PNC Festival of Lights: Every holiday season, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens shine bright with over 4 million LED lights for the annual PNC Festival of Lights. There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than taking a stroll through this “Wild Wonderland” and paying a visit to our beloved Fiona the hippo and her new baby Fritz. 

  • Cincinnati Open: The Cincinnati Open is the oldest tennis event to take place in the United States, and we’re proud to host it right here where it originally occurred.
Learn More About Cincinnati
Attractions, Downtown GABP (Great American Ball Park) fireworks, multiple images

Things To Do in Cincinnati

Because UC’s main campus is just minutes from downtown, students have plenty of opportunities to experience city life. One popular neighborhood is Over-the-Rhine, commonly called OTR. Less than a 10-minute drive from campus and a few blocks from downtown, OTR’s walkable streets are home to some of the best shopping and dining gems in the city. Browse local food and artisan products at Ohio’s oldest public market, Findlay Market, or head to Washington Park to enjoy the Cincinnati weather and a picturesque view of Music Hall, one of the city’s most recognizable buildings.

Urban adventures don’t stop there. To explore even more, hop on a Cincinnati Red Bike or take the free Streetcar a few blocks downtown. There, you can marvel at art at the Contemporary Arts Center and Cincinnati Museum Center, or check out The Banks for spectacular riverside sights along the 5-mile Ohio River Trail.

Just like Cincinnati’s not short of things to do, it’s also not short of places to eat. Among the most popular is Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati staple with its signature dish being the cheese coney – a hot dog in a steamed bun with mustard, covered with their original secret-recipe chili, diced onions and a mound of shredded cheddar cheese. Trust us when we say, don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Other local favorites include LaRosa’s Pizzeria for Italian family recipes and Graeter’s for delicious handcrafted ice cream.

Why is Cincinnati called “The Queen City?” Uses of this nickname date back to the 1800s when the city’s arts and commerce scene began to thrive. It’s said the saying was used by locals to reference the city’s emerging success, and it's still used today.

Check out even more local attractions here:

1

Engineering student works to create safer ground transportation

April 15, 2024

Ground transportation has a substantial impact on the daily lives of humans. Sai Bonthu, a doctoral candidate of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Cincinnati, is working to develop a product that has the potential to accurately reduce traffic accidents. Currently, he is working on a grant with the Ohio Department of Transportation and was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

2

The next generation of care

April 15, 2024

University of Cincinnati student-led nonprofit organization Parkinson's Together takes a multidisciplinary approach to meeting the needs of patients with Parkinson's disease in their community. Now it's setting a model for student organizations across the country.

3

UC engineering co-op medalist excels through 6 co-op experiences

April 15, 2024

Ever since she garnered an appreciation for chemistry in high school, fifth-year University of Cincinnati student Jaclyn Bashore has not looked back. When she graduates with a chemical engineering degree and a minor in chemistry this spring, Bashore will have had six co-op experiences — along with a new full-time job at AbbVie, a biopharmaceutical research company with whom she did two co-op rotations. To commemorate her exceptional co-op work, the UC College of Engineering and Applied Science awarded Bashore the 2024 Herman Schneider Medal, an annual award given to a graduating senior who demonstrates outstanding success as a co-op student.

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