List of colloquial names for universities and colleges in the United States

__NOTOC__

Because of the large number of universities and colleges in the United States, and in some cases to because of their lengthy formal names, it is common to abbreviate their names in everyday usage. Most simply, the type of institution, such as “University” or “College,” in the name may be dropped, or some component of the name abbreviated, such as “Tech” in place of “Institute of Technology” or “Technological University.”

Of course, the same nickname may apply to multiple institutions, especially in different regions, e.g. “USC” is claimed by both the University of Southern California and the University of South Carolina. The abbreviation may be non-obvious, e.g. “KU” is the University of Kansas and not “UK,” which is commonly the University of Kentucky. In some cases, the nickname may be better known, e.g. “West Point” rather than the United States Military Academy. This list of colloquial names for universities and colleges in the United States provides a lexicon of such names.

This list includes only alternative names for institutions, and not nicknames for their campuses, athletic teams, or personalities. Thus, it specifically excludes mascots and athletic team names, for which see List of U.S. college team nicknames and List of U.S. college mascots.

A

*AECOM - Albert Einstein College of Medicine
*Air Force - United States Air Force Academy
*Annapolis - U.S. Naval Academy
*A&M - Texas A&M University
*A&T - North Carolina A&T State University
*Apprentice School - Newport News
*Army - U.S. Military Academy
*ASU - Arizona State University, Arkansas State University, Alabama State University
*AU - Auburn University, American University, Anderson University
*AUM - Auburn University Montgomery

B

*BC - Boston College
*Berkeley - University of California, Berkeley
*BGSU - Bowling Green State University
*BJU - Bob Jones University
*BMC - Bryn Mawr College
*Bona - St. Bonaventure University
*BSC - Birmingham-Southern College
*BSU - Boise State University
*BU - Boston University, Butler University, Biola University, Bradley University, Baylor University
*BYU - Brigham Young University

C

*C of C - College of Charleston
*Cal - University of California, Berkeley
*Cal Poly - California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
*Cal Poly Pomona - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
*Caltech - California Institute of Technology
*Cal U, CUP - California University of Pennsylvania
*Carolina - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina
*CCNY - City College of New York
*CCSU - Central Connecticut State University
*CCU - Coastal Carolina University
*Charlotte - University of North Carolina at Charlotte
*Chatt, Chattanooga - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
*CMSU - Central Missouri State University
*City Tech - New York City College of Technology
*CMC - Claremont McKenna College
*CMU - Carnegie Mellon University, Central Michigan University
*CNU - Christopher Newport University
*Coast Guard - United States Coast Guard Academy
*The College - College of William & Mary
*College Park - University of Maryland, College Park
*CSB/SJU - College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
*CSE - College of Saint Elizabeth
*CSU - Cleveland State University, California State University, Colorado State University
*CSU-Pueblo - Colorado State University-Pueblo
*CU - University of Colorado
*CUNY - City University of New York
*'Cuse - Syracuse University

D

*DLI - Defense Language Institute
*DSU - Delaware State University, Delta State University
*DU - Drexel University, Denver University

E

*ECU - East Carolina University
*EMU - Eastern Michigan University
*ETSU - East Tennessee State University
*EWU - Eastern Washington University

F

*FC - Founders College
*F&M - Franklin & Marshall College
*FAMU - Florida A&M University
*FAU - Florida Atlantic University
*FDU - Fairleigh Dickinson University
*FGCU - Florida Gulf Coast University
*FIU - Florida International University

G

*GB - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
*GC&SU - Georgia College & State University
*Georgia Tech - Georgia Institute of Technology
*GMU - George Mason University
*GSU - Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University
*GT - Georgia Institute of Technology
*GVSU - Grand Valley State University
*GW, GWU - the George Washington University

H

*HIU - Hampton University (formerly Hampton Institute)
*HU - Howard University, Hampton University

I

*IC - Ithaca College
*IIT - Illinois Institute of Technology
*IPFW - Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
*ISU - Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Iowa State University, Idaho State University
*IU, IUB - Indiana University Bloomington
*IUP - Indiana University of Pennsylvania
*IUPUI -Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

J

*JHU - Johns Hopkins University
*JMU - James Madison University
*JWU - Johnson and Wales University
*JSU - Purdue University

K

*K-State - Kansas State University
*KSU - Kansas State University, Kent State University, Kentucky State University
*KU - University of Kansas

L

*LIU-Brooklyn - Long Island University
*LMU - Loyola Marymount University, Lincoln Memorial University
*LSU - Louisiana State University
*LUC - Loyola University Chicago

M

*Madison - James Madison University, University of Wisconsin-Madison
*Mason - George Mason University
*MCLA - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
*Merchant Marine - King’s Point; U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
*Metro State - Metropolitan State College of Denver
*MHC, MoHo - Mount Holyoke College
*Milwaukee - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
*Missouri S&T - Missouri University of Science and Technology
*MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
*Mizzou - University of Missouri
*Mt. SAC - Mt. San Antonio College
*MSU - Michigan State University, Missouri State University, Montana State University, Mississippi State University
*MTSU - Middle Tennessee State University
*MU - University of Missouri, Miami University
*MVSU - Mississippi Valley State University
*MUW - Mississippi University for Women

N

*Navy - U.S. Naval Academy
*NAU - Northern Arizona University
*NCCU - North Carolina Central University
*NC A&T - North Carolina A&T State University
*ND - University of Notre Dame, University of North Dakota
*NDSU - North Dakota State University
*NMSU - New Mexico State University
*Nova - Villanova University, Northern Virginia Community College
*NSU - Northwestern State University (Louisiana), Northeastern State University (Oklahoma), Norfolk State University, Northern State University (South Dakota), Nova Southeastern University
*NU - Norwich University, Niagara University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
*NWU - Northwestern University
*NYIT - New York Institute of Technology; New York Tech
*NYMC - New York Medical College
*NYU - New York University

O

*OCC - Orange Coast College
*OCU - Oklahoma City University
*ODU - Old Dominion University, Ohio Dominican University
*OIT - Oregon Institute of Technology
*Ole Miss - University of Mississippi
*ORU - Oral Roberts University
*OSU - Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University
*OU - University of Oklahoma, Ohio University
*Oxy - Occidental College

P

*PC- Providence College
*PCC- Pasadena City College, Portland Community College, Pensacola Christian College, Polk Community College, Pueblo Community College, Pima Community College
*Penn - University of Pennsylvania
*Penn State - the Pennsylvania State University
*Pitt - University of Pittsburgh
*PLNU - Point Loma Nazarene University
*PSU - the Pennsylvania State University, Portland State University
*PTS - Princeton Theological Seminary
*PVAMU - Prairie View A&M University

Q

*QU - Quinnipiac University

R

*Reserve - Case Western Reserve University
*RHIT - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
*RIC - Rhode Island College
*RISD - Rhode Island School of Design
*RIT - Rochester Institute of Technology
*R-MWC - Randolph-Macon Woman's College
*RPI - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
*RWU - Roger Williams University

*SC - University of Southern California, University of South Carolina
*SCU - Santa Clara University
*SCSU - South Carolina State University, Southern Connecticut State University
*SDSM&T - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
*SDSU - San Diego State University, South Dakota State University
*SFSU - San Francisco State University
*SEMo - Southeast Missouri State University
*Sewanee - University of the South
*SIU, SIUC - Southern Illinois University Carbondale
*SIUE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
*SJC, St. John's - St. John's College
*SJFC - Saint John Fisher College
*SJSU - San José State University
*SLU - Saint Louis University, St. Lawrence University
*SMU - Southern Methodist University
*SOSU - Southeastern Oklahoma State University
*SPU - Seattle Pacific University
*SSU - Savannah State University
*State - any of numerous "N" State Universities
*SU - Shenandoah University, Stanford University, Southern University, Syracuse University
*SUU - Southern Utah University
*SUNY - State University of New York system

T

*TAMU - Texas A&M University
*TCNJ - The College of New Jersey (was Trenton State)
*TCU - Texas Christian University
*Tech - any "Institute of Technology," "Tech University," "Polytechnic," etc.
*TU - Temple University, Towson University, Tulane University

U

*The U - University of Utah, University of Miami, University of Minnesota
*U of A - University of Arizona, University of Arkansas
*UA - University of Alabama
*UAA - University of Alaska Anchorage
*UAB - University of Alabama at Birmingham
*UAH - University of Alabama at Huntsville
*UALR - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
*UAM - University of Arkansas at Monticello
*UAPB - University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
*UB - University of Baltimore, University at Buffalo
*UC - University of California system, University of Chicago, University of Cincinnati
*UCA - University of Central Arkansas
*UCD - University of Colorado Denver
*UCF -University of Central Florida (was Florida Tech)
*UCI - University of California, Irvine
*UCLA - University of California, Los Angeles
*UCO - University of Central Oklahoma
*UConn - University of Connecticut
*UCR - University of California, Riverside
*UCSB - University of California, Santa Barbara
*UCSD - University of California, San Diego
*UCSF - University of California, San Francisco
*UD - University of Delaware
*UDel - University of Delaware
*UDM - University of Detroit Mercy
*UDC - University of the District of Columbia
*U Dub - University of Washington
*UGA - University of Georgia
*UH - University of Hawaii
*UI, U of I - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Idaho, University of Iowa
*UIC - University of Illinois at Chicago
*UIUC - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
*UK - University of Kentucky
*UM - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of Miami, University of Michigan
*UMass - University of Massachusetts Amherst
*UMB - University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Massachusetts Boston
*UMBC - University of Maryland, Baltimore County
*UMD - University of Maryland, College Park, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Michigan-Dearborn, or University of Minnesota Duluth
*UMKC -University of Missouri–Kansas City
*UML - University of Massachusetts, Lowell
*UNA - University of North Alabama
*UNC - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, University of Northern Colorado
*UNCG - The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
*UNCW - University of North Carolina at Wilmington
*UND - University of North Dakota
*UNF - University of North Florida
*UNH - University of New Hampshire, University of New Haven
*UNI - University of Northern Iowa (was Iowa Teachers)
*UNL - University of Nebraska–Lincoln
*UNLV - University of Nevada, Las Vegas (was Nevada Southern)
*UNM - University of New Mexico
*UNO - University of Nebraska, Omaha, University of New Orleans
*UNT - University of North Texas
*UO - University of Oregon
*UP - University of the Pacific, University of Portland
*UR or U of R - University of Richmond, University of Rochester
*URI - University of Rhode Island
*USA - University of South Alabama
*USAFA - United States Air Force Academy
*USAO - University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
*USC - University of Southern California, University of South Carolina
*USCA - University of South Carolina Aiken
*USD - University of San Diego
*USF - University of San Francisco, University of South Florida
*USFCA - University of San Francisco
*USI - University of Southern Indiana
*USM - University of Southern Maine, The University of Southern Mississippi
*UT - University of Tennessee, University of Texas at Austin
*UTA - University of Texas at Arlington
*UTB/TSC - University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
*UTD - University of Texas at Dallas
*UTEP - University of Texas at El Paso (was Texas Western)
*UTPB - University of Texas of the Permian Basin
*UTSA - University of Texas at San Antonio
*UVA - University of Virginia
*UVM - University of Vermont
*UVU - Utah Valley University
*UW - University of Washington, University of Wyoming, University of Wisconsin system, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
*UWF - University of West Florida
*UWGB - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
*UWM - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

V

*Valpo - Valparaiso University
*VCU - Virginia Commonwealth University
*Virginia Tech - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
*VMI - Virginia Military Institute
*VPI - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Although an abbreviation of the university official name, it most often used in the past and the university discourages its usage) [http://www.hokiesports.com/football/2007MG/fb2007mg.pdf
*VSU - Valdosta State University, Virginia State University
*VT - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
*VU - Valparaiso University, Vanderbilt University, Villanova University, Vincennes University

W

*Wash U, WUSTL - Washington University in St. Louis
*Wazzu - Washington State University
*West Point - U.S. Military Academy
*WFU - Wake Forest University
*WIU - Western Illinois University
*WKU - Western Kentucky University
*WMU - Western Michigan University
*WPI - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
*WSU - Washington State University, Wichita State University, Wright State University
*WTAMU - West Texas A&M University
*WVU - West Virginia University

X

*XU - Xavier University (Cincinnati)
*XULA - Xavier University of Louisiana

Y

*The Y - Brigham Young University
*YSU - Youngstown State University
*YU - Yeshiva University, Yale University