When most people think of the state of Nevada, they typically think of Las Vegas and casinos. However, there is lot more to Nevada than gambling. Nevada is home to beautiful desert areas, such as Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Valley of Fire State Park. Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, is located in Nevada (and California). And, while gambling happens at the casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, and Laughlin, they also offer great entertainment and eating!

While the state of Nevada does not have a lot of higher education institutions, it is home to four great institutions you might want to consider.

Nevada State College
Location: Henderson
Type: Public
Established: 2002
Enrollment: 3,747 undergraduate students (Fall 2016)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 17 to 1 (Fall 2016)
Acceptance rate: 76% (Fall 2016)
NSC is the only four-year, comprehensive public institution in the state of Nevada. The college places an emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population with over 50% of the student population from culturally diverse backgrounds. In addition, approximately 61% of NSC students are the first in their families to attend college. NSC offers 45 majors and minors with the top programs being Nursing, Education, Business Administration, Biology, and Psychology.

Sierra Nevada College
Location: Incline Village
Type: Private, Liberal Arts
Established: 1969
Enrollment: 478 undergraduate students (Fall 2016)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 11 to 1 (Fall 2016)
Acceptance rate: 51% (Fall 2016)
SNC is the only private university in the state of Nevada. The campus is just blocks away from Lake Tahoe and there are 22 ski resorts within two hours. Popular academic programs at SNC include Entrepreneurship, Environmental Science, English and Creative Writing, Ski Business & Resort Management, Fine Arts, and Teacher Education. SNC is known for all of the outdoor adventures that await the students including biking, backpacking, surfing, skiing, climbing, and camping.

University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Type: Public, Research University
Location: Las Vegas
Established: 1957
Enrollment: 24,714 undergraduate students (Fall 2016)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 21 to 1 (Fall 2016)
Acceptance rate: 83% (Fall 2016)
UNLV is the largest university in the state of Nevada with almost 30,000 students (undergraduate and graduate students). The campus is 332 acres and is located approximately 1.6 miles away from the Las Vegas Strip. UNLV offers 146 academic programs with some of the more popular programs being Biology, Hospitality Administration, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Kinesiology, and Psychology. In addition to the undergraduate programs, UNLV also has the only Medical and Law Schools in Nevada. Students at UNLV have over 300 student organizations to choose from, as well as Division I athletics and other campus activities happening on a daily basis.

University of Nevada-Reno
Type: Public, Flagship, Research University
Location: Reno
Established: 1874
Enrollment: 18,191 undergraduate students (Fall 2016)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 21 to 1 (Fall 2016)
Acceptance rate: 83% (Fall 2016)
UNR is the flagship institution of the University of Nevada and is located just north of downtown Reno. The university is known for being at the forefront of earthquake research and producing talented journalists (six Pulitzer Prize winners), among other things. UNR offers over 145 degree programs with some of the more popular programs being Biology, Business, Journalism, Teacher Education, Engineering, and Criminology. The campus has a lot going on for students outside of the classroom, including over 250 student clubs, fitness classes, art galleries, and coffee shops.

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