Our Members
Meet the AASCU members advancing social mobility for students of all backgrounds, positively impacting them, their families, and their communities.
State colleges and universities power upward social and economic mobility. AASCU intensifies their impact.
AASCU institutions advance social mobility for students of all backgrounds, positively impacting them, their families, and their communities for generations to come. Offering more than 3 million students each year an affordable, high-quality college education, regional public universities are stewards of their communities, powering economic growth and preparing graduates to be informed and engaged citizens who live by the values of a democratic society.
Our members expand access, success, and opportunity across every region – from cities and suburbs to remote rural towns – across the U.S. and globally.
AASCU Members include:
- Rural-Serving Institutions
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges & Universities
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions
- Predominantly Black Institutions
- Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions
AASCU institutions deliver America’s promise of opportunities for all. Our members are:
Affordable,offering greater value than other higher education options. |
High-quality,exposing students to a full range of economic opportunities through teaching and mentoring from a faculty of engaged scholars. |
Vital,preparing graduates to be informed and engaged citizens, instilled with a sense of agency. |
≈$10,000is the average yearly tuition for in-state, full-time undergraduates at regional public universities. |
66%of public, four-year bachelor’s degrees are awarded by regional public universities. |
Nearly 4.9 million+students receive an affordable, high-quality college education from regional public universities. |
Our members are transformational. Explore the ways they’re changing students’ lives.
2022 Regional and Economic Development Award: The University of West Alabama
The University of West Alabama’s Division of Economic and Workforce Development, A Link Between Campus and Community
Regional Support
As the leader for economic and workforce development in Sumter County and West Alabama, known as Alabama’s “Black Belt” region, the Division of Economic and Workforce Development at the University of West Alabama (UWA)’s mission is to support and enhance the economic vitality and long-term prosperity of the region.
Quality of Life
The Division of Economic and Workforce Development has developed the capacity to support economic growth, business retention and expansion, and enhanced quality of life in the region through local and regional initiatives.
Meeting Needs
By successfully implementing these objectives, UWA’s Division of Economic and Workforce Development is addressing the challenges and meeting the needs of the Black Belt region it serves.
Together, AASCU members are educating the leaders and citizens for the workforce of today and tomorrow.
“AASCU is working on important issues that affect the changing higher education landscape in our country and provides tools, information, and best practices for the leaders of member institutions to effectively manage these issues and challenges. AASCU membership has provided me the opportunity to connect with colleagues and peers from across the country from whom I can learn and jointly influence the future of higher education in the United States.”
“AASCU provides an important service to us as a public institution of higher education, and to me as a president, by offering a way for leaders and stakeholders in our institution to receive the best resources and tools to do their jobs. The AASCU focus on celebrating a culture of teaching and learning, as well as their passionate advocacy for that culture at all levels, means they have the best interests of our students and faculty at heart. I can say with confidence that our institution has benefitted from our membership in the organization.”
“I look forward to attending AASCU meetings and participating in various programs as a college president, and before as a chief academic officer. I now encourage my deans and CAOs to participate because I know that they would likely meet and connect to lifelong friends and colleagues as I did. My AASCU colleagues are the people I call to check in or to discuss the challenges we are all facing as leaders in higher education.”
Help students at state colleges and universities reach their highest potential.
Advance our legislative priorities.
Explore the policy agenda we’ve designed to help policymakers and advocates better support state colleges and universities.
Advocate for our institutions.Partner with us.
Amplify the transformative power of state colleges and universities as a strategic partner, educational partner, or by engaging with our members.
Support our work.Become a member.
Leverage an AASCU membership to exchange vital expertise, expand your network, and elevate our collective voice.
Add to our ranks.FAQ
Get answers to common questions about AASCU members.
AASCU represents the sector of over 500 regional public colleges, universities, and systems united by our shared commitment to make affordable, high-quality education available to all students.
Our members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.
AASCU institutions offer students of all backgrounds an affordable, high-quality college education, including students who are
working adults, students who are parents or caregivers, part-time students, and students who face time constraints and financial challenges.
AASCU institutions are located across nearly all 50 states as well as in U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico.
AASCU institutions offer more than 3 million students the opportunity to attain a transformative college education, moving students from lower-income families up the socioeconomic scale.
AASCU members offer more than 3 million students a vital college education, awarding nearly half of the 1.4 million bachelors’ degrees conferred by public four-year institutions. AASCU institutions are stewards of their communities, powering economic growth and preparing graduates to be informed and engaged citizens who live by the values of a democratic society.
State colleges and universities develop curriculum that delivers valuable learning outcomes and meets workforce needs.
Regional public universities (RPUs) create clear pathways for success in college and careers, and for creating thriving communities. Equipping students with critical thinking skills and meaningful professional networks, RPUs ready students to be resilient in the face of life’s curveballs. They provide an affordable and accessible higher education choice, ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed, including students who are first generation, students of color, students impacted by
increasing income inequality and poverty, veterans, students in rural areas, and those balancing work and care responsibilities.
AASCU institutions belong to a network of regional public universities that work collaboratively to expand opportunities for students and their communities. Members receive ongoing, customized support as they create clear leadership pathways and support upward social and economic mobility for their students.
AASCU advocates among federal policymakers the importance of ensuring sufficient, consistent, and sustained funding to keep state colleges and universities a post-secondary option for all students, especially those from modest economic circumstances.
AASCU institutions emphasize the importance of experiential learning to prepare students with the skills they need to succeed in their careers. Research shows citizens with a college education are more likely to earn more money over their lifetimes, pay more taxes, vote, volunteer, and live healthier lives.
