Address: 104 Hullihen Hall, 19716 Newark, Delaware, United States
Chemical Engineering, Physical Therapy, Early American History and Culture
The University of Delaware traces its beginnings to 1743, when the Presbyterian clergyman Francis Alison began teaching in his home in New London, Pennsylvania. The state chartered a college in 1833, and the institution took the name University of Delaware in 1921, while in practice keeping a long line from Newark College and Delaware College.
Its mission statement calls it a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant university, and it is described as state-assisted yet privately governed. The main campus is in Newark, Delaware, with other sites in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes.
The university is classified as an R1 doctoral university and counts chemical engineering, physical therapy and early American history and culture among its main areas. Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, earned his bachelor’s degree there in 1965, and the athletic teams are known as the Fightin’ Blue Hens.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant, and urban-grant institution. Strong programs in chemical engineering (historically tied to DuPont), physical therapy, and specific areas of humanities.
Research:
A research university with strengths in chemical and biomolecular engineering, materials science, marine studies, biotechnology, and public policy.
Famous Alumnis:
Joe Biden (also Syracuse), Jill Biden, Chris Christie, Steve Mosko
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4000
Current students***:
24000
Foreign students***:
5%
Cumulative former students***:
180000
Pros
Strong chemical engineering program with historic industry ties, good programs in specific health and humanities fields, attractive campus.
Cons
Located in a smaller town (Newark), some programs less nationally prominent than top-tier research universities.
Best For
Students interested in chemical engineering, physical therapy, or specific humanities fields, often valuing a traditional campus environment with strong research opportunities in these areas.
Drexel University in Pennsylvania is a private university with engineering, health sciences and business, a mid-Atlantic neighbour with applied health programmes.
Temple University is public and based in Philadelphia, with arts, law and business as main fields.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public land-grant university in nearby New Jersey, with pharmacy, arts and sciences and engineering.
University of Pittsburgh is public and strong in medicine and health sciences, philosophy and engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Bristol in the United Kingdom is public and works in engineering, medicine and the sciences, comparable to Delaware's engineering and health base.
Trinity College Dublin in Ireland is public and lists nanoscience, computer science and engineering, with a long history like Delaware's.
Aalto University in Finland is public and focuses on engineering, information and computer science and materials science.
Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands is public and works in earth sciences, life sciences and chemistry.
Technical University of Denmark is a public technical university in engineering, wind energy and biotechnology.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How old is the University of Delaware?
It traces its origins to 1743, when Francis Alison taught pupils in his home. The state chartered a college in 1833, and the university name dates from 1921.
Is it a public or private university?
It is state-assisted yet privately governed, so it receives state support while being governed privately.
Which towns does Delaware teach in?
The main campus is in Newark, Delaware. The university also has locations in Wilmington, Dover, Georgetown and Lewes.
What grant designations does it hold?
Its mission statement describes it as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant university. These tie it to agriculture, ocean and space research.
Which well-known people studied at Delaware?
Joe Biden graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1965 and later became the 46th president of the United States. The university also mentions a Nobel Prize-winning scientist among its alumni.
What is its research classification?
Delaware is listed as R1, a Carnegie category for doctoral universities with very high research activity. Chemical engineering and physical therapy are among its listed main areas.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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