Northern Arizona University

Overall ExperienceWhat's This?

When asked to reflect back on their time at NAU, the overwhelming majority of students give it the thumbs up. Most will tell you that they love Flagstaff and would recommend NAU to anyone. The small class sizes and beautiful location make it a perfect spot to learn and develop within the confines of higher education. It's too bad that many people write the school off as nothing more than a gathering of hippies. When you peel the stereotypes away, you find that it's a school where you'll get a pretty good education, lots of opportunities, and maybe a few lifelong friends on the way. Flagstaff itself is a town of great history, great food, and a decent amount of things to see. However, Northern Arizona University is not perfect by any means. The school will be hit drastically by the recent budget cuts affecting the Arizona public universities that were passed by the state legislation. While the administration and President are very active in dealing with the slashed budget, extracurriculars will be cut, and class size is bound to go up.

The people here are nice and friendly and usually will return your hello if you offer it. The parking situation definitely needs improvement, but that won’t be coming anytime soon, so you should definitely get used to walking or biking. Most of the early 100- and 200-level classes are simplistic, and students need to keep patience until they reach the more challenging courses. Eating on campus is painful—the rates for meal plans are skyrocketing thanks to the budget cuts, and although the new Union Expansion has offered students more options, campus dining still leaves much to be desired. But overall, students really love being Lumberjacks. It's not the place for everyone, but most say the combination of a solid education and friendly social environment make NAU a great spot to grow up, make some serious memories, and expand your horizons. And, you know, get an education, too.

Northern Arizona Student Reviews