UAF facts

UAF is America's northernmost Land, Sea and Space Grant institution, offering 28 certificates and 162 degrees in 119 disciplines ranging from bachelors to Ph.Ds. Our 9,687 students come from Alaska, most other states, and 52 foreign countries.

• Diversity
• A Land, Sea and Space Grant Institution
• Statewide Institutional Research
• Planning, Analysis and Institutional Research (PAIR)
• UAF at a Glance
• UAF Fact Book
• UAF history
• UAF history photo gallery

What's a Nanook?
Nanook is a derivation of the Inupiaq Eskimo word for polar bear "nanuq." All University of Alaska Fairbanks sports teams are called "Nanooks." UAF was established in 1917 and basketball teams were nicknamed the Polar Bears. After 1963, the Polar Bears became known almost exclusively as the Nanooks, after the Eskimo word for polar bear. Incidentally, up until the mid-70s, the men's basketball team was known as the "Flying Nanooks" because of the regular, and long, airplane rides they need to take in order to compete with other college teams. Now, all UAF sports teams, including women's basketball, swimming and volleyball, rifle, hockey and cross country running and skiing teams, are Nanooks.