University of Louisville

The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19th century one of the first city-funded public colleges in the United States. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to be a "Preeminent Metropolitan Research University". Louisville is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The University of Louisville School of Medicine is touted for the first fully self-contained artificial heart transplant surgery, as well as the first successful hand transplantation in the United States. The University Hospital is also credited with the first civilian ambulance, the nation's first accident services, now known as an emergency department (ED), and one of the first blood banks in the US. University of Louisville is known for its Cardinals athletics programs. Since 2005, the Cardinals have made appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball Final Four in 2005, 2012, and 2013 (vacated); football Bowl Championship Series Orange Bowl in 2007 and Sugar Bowl in 2013; the College Baseball World Series 2007, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2025; the women's basketball Final Four in 2009 (runner-up), 2013 (runner-up), 2018 (national semi-final), and 2022 (national semi-final); and the men's soccer national championship game in 2010. The Louisville Cardinals Women's Volleyball program has three-peated as champions of the Big East Tournament (2008, 2009, 2010), were Atlantic Coast Conference Champions in 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and made appearances in the NCAA Division I women's volleyball Final Four in 2021 and the national championship in 2022 and 2024. Women's track and field program has won Outdoor Big East titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and an Indoor Big East title in 2011.