The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's development into a significant research and doctoral institution has a long and colorful history. When it began as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in the early 1900s, it was an advanced trade school. In 1921, SLII became Southwestern Louisiana Institute and achieved the status of a college. In 1960, SLI became The University of Southwestern Louisiana and reached another milestone by becoming the state's first Doctoral II institution, which means it awards a high number of doctoral degrees and has a significant research agenda.

The University has grown tremendously from a small school serving a quadrant of the state to a major institution capturing nationwide attention. In 1999, it was renamed the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to better reflect its status.

The University is now the home of the National Wetlands Research Center and the Estuarine Habitats and Coastal Fisheries Center, thanks in large part to the University's renowned biology department. Other research park tenants include: the Apparel Computer Integrated Manufacturing Center, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, Lafayette Primary Care Center, NASA Regional Application Center, UL Lafayette Energy Institute, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, U. S. Department of Agriculture and the New Iberia Research Center .

UL Lafayette now has over 16,000 students and 1,200 faculty and staff. It is accredited by Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

UL Lafayette's programs range from being some of the best in the state to being some of the best in the nation. As an added bonus, the children of out-of-state UL Lafayette graduates can attend for in-state tuition.

The University offers 108 degrees in 10 colleges and schools, with degree programs ranging from the fine arts to the hard sciences and everything in between. It has a highly regarded Honors Program, one of the largest in Louisiana.

UL Lafayette's reputation as a center for research and graduate studies is steadily growing. UL Lafayette offers a Ph.D. in computer engineering, computer science, english, cognitive science, environmental and evolutionary biology, and mathematics. It is one of only three universities in the world to offer a Ph.D. in francophone studies.

Academic credit can be earned by taking evening and extensions courses through University College. Through its DOORS program, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette provides special services to older students whose needs may be different from traditional college-age students. But even with all of the growth, UL Lafayette is still a warm, friendly and caring place making the future brighter for its students, Acadiana, and Louisiana.