UD sponsors 21 men's and women's NCAA Division I sports teams and have competed in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) since 2001.

The University of Delaware traces its origins to 1743, when Presbyterian minister Francis Alison opened a "Free School" in his home in New London, Pennsylvania.

[14] In 1818, the Delaware legislature authorized the trustees of the Newark Academy to operate a lottery in order to raise funds with which to establish a college.

In exchange, the state received a one-half interest in the property of the college and the authority to appoint half of the members of the board of trustees.

In 1887, Congress passed the Hatch Act, which provided Delaware College with funding with which to establish an agricultural experiment station.

[19] At its completion, the study suggested that the planned addition was not within the university's funding capability given the nation's economic climate at the time.

[22] Main Campus, which has most of the academic and residential buildings, is centered on a roughly north–south axis between South College Avenue and Academy Street.

"South Central," which extends from Memorial Hall to Park Place, houses the original Women's dormitories, as well as some classroom buildings and the Morris Library.

[26] Other major facilities that have opened since 2000 include: In 2015, the UD Board of Trustees elected Dennis Assanis as the 28th President of the University of Delaware; he took office in June 2016.

He succeeded Nancy Targett, former dean of the university's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, who served as interim president in 2015–16.

The total cost of attendance for the 2022–23 academic year (tuition, mandatory fees, room and board) is $32,444 for Delawareans and $54,964 for non-residents.

DENIN is charged with conducting research and promoting and coordinating knowledge partnerships that integrate environmental science, engineering and policy.

[60] The John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance was established in 2000 at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

[63] The program began when Professor Raymond Watson Kirkbride took a group of eight students to Paris, France, during the fall semester of 1923.

[64] The University of Delaware has a variety of musical performance opportunities available to students, including a wind ensemble, orchestra, and jazz and symphonic band.

Both organizations are active in the music community; hosting a variety of recitals and service events in and around the Newark area.

They are licensed to the city of Newark, Delaware and broadcasts with a power of 1,000 watts 24 hours a day with its offices and studios located in the Perkins Student Center.

The station broadcasts second-run movies, original student produced content as well as live sports coverage.

[72] A campus website claims that a 1993 study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that high-risk drinking at UD exceeded the national norm.

UD students were found to be more aware of policies, prevention programs, and enforcement risks than the national average.

[75] At least one student organization has undertaken the goal of "providing fun activities for those who chose not to drink" and to "promote the idea that one doesn't need alcohol to have a good time.

"[76] In 2008, a University of Delaware freshman died of alcohol poisoning after attending a party hosted by members of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, where the student was pledging.

In July 2024, UD will start a transition to the top level of college football, Division I FBS, and will join Conference USA a year later.

The Fightin' Blue Hens football teams have won six national titles, including the 2003 NCAA I-AA Championship.

In 2007, the Delaware Blue Hens were the runners up in the NCAA I-AA National Championship game, but were defeated by defending champions Appalachian State.

[81][82] In his honor, The Edgar Johnson Award is given each year to the University of Delaware senior male athlete who best exhibits the characteristics of dedication, hard work, and fairness, and consistently reaches for excellence.

Delaware is one of only two schools to have three straight head coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Georgia Tech is the other).

[93] In the fall of 2007, the university implemented a new residence-life education program that was criticized for forcing students into polarizing discussions.

Portions of the Newark community questioned the business plan, claiming that the power plant is not an auxiliary part of the data center but a separate industrial use, which would violate the zoning of the STAR campus.

1950); Nobel Prize-winning organic chemist Richard F. Heck; Director of Research Division at NASA Henry C Brinton (B.S.