Connecticut Colleges & Universities

Danbury, CT — Public university, est. 1903; home of the Colonials; Little East Conference member; Division III; located in Danbury, the largest city in western Connecticut near the New York border; strong programs in education, business, and visual and performing arts

Fairfield, CT — Private Jesuit university, est. 1942; home of the Stags; Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member; consistent NCAA Tournament basketball program with notable upsets; strong programs in business, nursing, and the arts; located in Fairfield County, Connecticut's most populous and affluent county

Fairfield, CT — Private Catholic university, est. 1963; home of the Pioneers; Northeast Conference member; fastest-growing Catholic university in the United States; consistent Division I football and hockey programs; acquired the former General Electric campus in Fairfield as part of a major expansion; strong programs in nursing, business, and health sciences

Hamden, CT — Private university, est. 1929; home of the Bobcats; MAAC member; one of the fastest-growing universities in New England; Division I ice hockey powerhouse with multiple national championship appearances; nationally known for its Quinnipiac Poll, one of the most cited political polling operations in the country; strong programs in nursing, health sciences, and business

Hartford, CT — Private liberal arts college, est. 1823; home of the Bantams; NESCAC member; Division III; one of the most prestigious small liberal arts colleges in New England; the Trinity squash program has won 30 consecutive national championships (1998–2012), the longest winning streak in the history of American collegiate athletics; strong programs in the humanities, economics, and public policy

Middletown, CT — Private liberal arts university, est. 1831; home of the Cardinals; NESCAC member; Division III; one of the "Little Three" liberal arts colleges along with Amherst and Williams; the alma mater of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (briefly); consistent NESCAC athletics across multiple sports; located in Middletown on the Connecticut River — the same city where Jeff Bagwell attended Xavier High School

New Britain, CT — Public university, est. 1849; home of the Blue Devils; Northeast Conference member; the oldest state university in Connecticut; consistent Division I athletics including football and multiple other sports; serves the greater Hartford region; strong programs in education, engineering technology, and criminal justice

New Haven, CT — Private Catholic liberal arts college affiliated with the Dominican Sisters, est. 1925; home of the Falcons; Great Northeast Athletic Conference member; Division III; one of New Haven's small Catholic institutions contributing to the city's robust higher education landscape alongside Yale

New Haven, CT — Public university, est. 1893; home of the Owls; Northeast Conference member; Division II athletics; located in New Haven, Connecticut's second-largest city and home of Yale; strong programs in education, health sciences, and library science; consistently one of the top Division II programs in the Northeast

New Haven, CT — Private Ivy League research university, est. 1701 (third-oldest in the U.S.); home of the Bulldogs; produced Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football," who invented the line of scrimmage, the snap, and the concept of downs; the Yale Bowl (1914) was the first 70,000+ seat stadium in America and the model for the "bowl" shape used in stadiums worldwide; alma mater of numerous Olympic athletes and a consistent presence in Ivy League athletics; Payne Whitney Gymnasium is among the most magnificent sports facilities in American higher education

New London, CT — Private liberal arts college, est. 1911; home of the Camels; NESCAC member; Division III; established as a women's college (now co-ed); one of Connecticut's most scenic campuses overlooking Long Island Sound and the Thames River; strong programs in dance, botanic gardens, and environmental studies

West Hartford, CT — Private university, est. 1877; home of the Hawks; America East Conference member; alma mater of Jeff Bagwell (Baseball HOF) — traded from Boston in the most lopsided deal in baseball history; strong programs in music (Hartt School), engineering, and business; the Hartt School of Music is one of the most respected conservatories in New England

Willimantic, CT — Public liberal arts university, est. 1889; home of the Warriors; Little East Conference member; Division III; one of the most successful Division III athletic programs in New England — multiple NCAA championships in women's basketball; located in Windham County in eastern Connecticut

Storrs, CT — Public flagship research university, est. 1881; home of the Huskies; Big East Conference member; alma mater of Ray Allen (Basketball HOF), Kemba Walker, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and dozens of WNBA and NBA stars; the UConn women's basketball program under coach Geno Auriemma has won 11 national championships and is one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of American team sports; the UConn men's program has also won five national championships; located in Mansfield Township in northeast Connecticut