[13] NAU's astronomy faculty led the observations of the NASA DART planetary defense mission,[14] co-discovered several astronomical bodies such as Eris and Sedna, and are major participants in the search for the hypothetical Planet Nine.

[17][18] The NAU Lumberjacks compete in the NCAA Division I primarily as part of the Big Sky Conference, and have won several national championships in cross country running.

The self-sufficiency of the college helped conserve monetary resources, and it was a major contributor to the local economy of the surrounding Flagstaff community, injecting almost a half-million dollars in 1938.

In 2023, the university announced the establishment of NAU Health initiative, which will include the creation of a medical school through the College of Medicine.

The main campus is surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world[30] and enjoys a four-season climate, with the host city of Flagstaff averaging 90.1 inches of snow per year.

Dining services and facilities contribute to a composting initiative, collecting more than 300,000 pounds of material each year, which prevents 250 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

In order to provide access and affordability to all Arizona residents, NAU offers more than 130 accredited degree programs at more than 20 statewide locations.

The top undergraduate academic degree plans by enrollment for the 2023 fall semester were:[12] The College of Arts and Letters houses numerous departments, including: The college also oversees the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum,[37] Martin-Springer Institute (promoting lessons of the Holocaust), Northern Arizona Writing Project, Ardrey Memorial Auditorium, and Kitt Recital Hall.

Department faculty and students share their scholarly work and artistic achievement through more than 300 performances, lectures, films, and exhibitions annually.

The college's departments—offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees—include: The College of Health and Human Services offers several programs at the Phoenix Bioscience Core,[47] a state-of-the-art facility on 30 acres in downtown Phoenix, Arizona that includes more than six million square feet of research, academic, and clinical facilities for students earning advanced degrees in medical professions.

[48] The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences[49] offers a wide array of social science and related professional degree programs, including: The college also houses the Civic Service Institute that connects students, older adults, and other community members to national service volunteer opportunities within their communities.

[27] The FCB offers 7 undergraduate BSBA degrees for Accounting, Economics, Finance, Hospitality (HRM), Information Systems, Management, and Marketing, which students complete through the Business Professional Program (BPP).

The Franke building an open-floor 4-level 111,000 sq ft (10,300 m2) complex with a grand central staircase, auditoriums, 14 classrooms, 5 computer labs, 11 student conference rooms, several lounges, 56 administrative offices, exterior porches, and a café.

Honors College students have unique opportunities for study abroad and can participate in out-of-classroom programs like the Grand Canyon Semester.

The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute conducts research to track and fight a host of rapidly evolving and potentially deadly diseases including COVID-19.

Additionally, NAU partners with Lowell at its Anderson Mesa site, both in the National Undergraduate Research Laboratory and in a new Near-Earth Object follow-up program.

NAU also manages the National Undergraduate Research Observatory, which provides access to Lowell's 0.79-meter telescope for a consortium of four-year colleges around the country.

NAU's Access2Excellence (A2E) initiative, announced in April 2022 by President José Luis Cruz Rivera, will provide a tuition-free undergraduate college education for every Arizona resident with a household income of $65,000 or below, assuring tuition will be fully covered by scholarships and financial aid.

[91] Several of NAU's teams compete at the Walkup Skydome, a multipurpose stadium providing facilities for football, basketball, indoor track and field, soccer, weight lifting, lacrosse, student recreation, major concert events, commencements, intramurals, and a variety of other university and community activities.

The Rolle Activity Center provides physical education classrooms and contains courts for recreational and varsity sports, including NAU's volleyball team, with seating for almost 1,100.

Rolle played basketball from 1937 to 1941, served as student body president, and received a BA in 1941 and MA in education in 1950 from Arizona State College of Flagstaff.

[102] The 2,000-square-foot lab offers undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to collaborate with scholars and researchers on grant-funded projects including mobile development, augmented and virtual reality, filmmaking, aerial drone cinematography, motion capture, and eSports.

In the Social and Behavioral Sciences’ School of Communication, the Media Innovation Center (MIC) hosts several immersive learning programs where students practice journalism and filmmaking in real-world settings.

Students can work at The Lumberjack, covering news of NAU and the region for Jackcentral.com and social media, and a print edition circulated throughout Flagstaff.

In 2018, NAZ Today received national recognition from the Broadcast Education Association for "best student television newscast produced more than four days weekly."

Students in NAU's Strategic Communication program publish NAZ Today stories on Facebook and Twitter, and maintain the show's website.

In addition to popular and alternative music, KJACK students provide live sports broadcasts, talk shows, and news.

The John Haeger Health and Learning Center features include an indoor jogging track, a 38-foot climbing wall, a large weight room, a multipurpose gym, a cardio theatre, and 123,000 square feet of recreation opportunities.

[106] Also, more than 40 sports clubs are classified as either competitive or recreational/instructional, including baseball, rugby, soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, Quidditch, disc golf, kendo, mixed martial arts, and water polo.

[110] Unions and Student Activities offers many services and events for the campus community, such as movies and the popular Friday night AfterHours program produced by Sun Entertainment.