The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the second largest school in the University of Tennessee System, serving a diverse student body of more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five academic colleges. UTC offers a unique blend of private and public school traditions and is a driving force for achieving excellence, embracing diversity, inspiring positive change, and enriching the community. Since its founding as Chattanooga University in 1886, UTC has developed a reputation for excellence built on an unusual blend of the private and public traditions of American higher education. For more than 83 years, the university was a private school. In 1969, UTC became part of the state university system. Today, UTC is on a journey to excellence - boldly embracing a passion for excellence in all things and focused on changing lives and transforming communities. The UTC commitment—each and every day—is to earn the trust and confidence of those we serve. Our goal is to make a difference in our community and in the lives of our students. Chattanooga, the fourth largest city in the state, is located in Southeast Tennessee near the border of Georgia at the junction of four interstate highways. The city has received national recognition for the renaissance of its beautiful downtown and redevelopment of its riverfront. Chattanooga also has the fastest internet in the country. Home to the first Gig Internet in the United States, Chattanooga has a 100% fiber network that links every home and business in a 600-square mile area. Companies like Unum, McKee, U.S. Xpress, Volkswagen, Coke United and Amazon.com have chosen to set up shop in Chattanooga. Attractions such as the Tennessee Aquarium, Lookout Mountain, Civil War battlefield sites, the African American Museum, and the Appalachian Trail bring thousands of people to the area, as do events like the Riverbend Festival, Nightfall, Jazzanooga, the Creative Discovery Museum for Children, and the Southern Writers Conference. Chattanooga is the home to the seven-time NCAA Southern Conference Football Champions, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs. People who love the outdoors use Chattanooga as a base for hang-gliding, bass fishing, mountain climbing and caving expeditions; the beautiful Smoky Mountains and Tennessee River support the greatest variety of flora of any area in the United States. Chattanooga also has a long and rich past with regard to diversity, which includes Native American heritage, Civil War history, and the Civil Rights movement. Chattanooga is also just a two hour (or less) drive from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, and Birmingham.