Old Main

Completed in 1894 on the Tempe campus, Old Main is ASU’s oldest building and a symbol of ASU’s endurance and growth. Standing three stories in 1898, Old Main was the tallest building in the Valley of the Sun and the first in Tempe wired for electric lighting. It served as a community meeting site and the Arizona Territorial Normal School’s central classroom and office building. Old Main is now the headquarters for the ASU Alumni Association.

Arizona State University is the New American University — a major public institution, a premier research center and a leader in innovation. Our vision is described by our three core principles: excellence in scholarship, access to education and impact on our community. These define our identity and illuminate our mission.

ASU offers more than 250 undergraduate academic programs and majors, led by expert faculty members from highly ranked colleges and schools. Majors range from aerospace engineering to women’s studies. ASU students are preparing for careers in art, business, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, global health, industrial design, journalism, marketing, music, nursing, physics, politics, sociology, theater, urban planning and so much more. Each distinctive academic program exemplifies the hallmark of ASU: an exceptional education inspired by vision, scholarship and creativity.

More than 55,000 students attend the historic Tempe campus, which features broad pedestrian malls, subtropical landscaping and imaginative architecture. The Sun Devil athletic complex, performing arts facilities and high-tech research spaces create a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

The Polytechnic campus, located in Mesa in the heart of the East Valley, is home to more than 9,000 students exploring ASU’s professional and technological programs.

An urban lifestyle for more than 11,000 students is part of the Downtown Phoenix campus in the heart of Arizona’s capital. The campus combines research with retail and classrooms with culture in high-tech facilities.

At the West campus, ASU provides studentcentered, engaged learning in the arts and sciences, education and business to more than 10,000 students. Recently, the campus was recognized as one of Phoenix’s Points of Pride — an honor granted to unique landmarks and city attractions.

• ASU is globally recognized and globally engaged. SkySong, ASU’s Scottsdale Innovation Center, houses more than 20 global startups and midsized companies from Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Turkey, Mexico and Singapore endeavoring to change the entrepreneurial landscape of Arizona and the world. With so many learning opportunities at home and abroad, ASU students become involved global citizens.
• ASU was ranked fifth best in Up and Coming Schools in the 2010 edition of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking highlighted 70 schools to watch in terms of promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty members, students, campus life, diversity and facilities.
• U.S. News & World Report placed ASU in the top tier for the second year in a row as one of the Best National Universities and recognized several of the university’s graduate programs among the top 25 in the nation.
• ASU’s faculty includes Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, members of the National Academy of Sciences and members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• Consider ASU as your destination for arts, athletics and entertainment. The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts presents more than 1,000 cultural events each year, including art exhibitions, music concerts and performances, film festivals and theater and dance productions.