·Public Research·Est. 1866
“New Hampshire's flagship public R1 research university — a Sea-Land-Space Grant institution where Atlantic ocean labs, White Mountains and one of the most beautiful walkable college towns in New England converge.”
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is the state's flagship public research university and one of only roughly 25 institutions in the U.S. holding the trifecta of Sea, Land and Space Grant designations from the federal government. With about 13,500 students on its 188-acre Durham campus, UNH is small enough to feel intimate but powerful enough to be classified as an R1 research university by Carnegie — a rare combination at this size and price point in the U.S. Northeast. Academically, UNH spans the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics (AACSB-accredited), the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, the College of Health and Human Services, and the unique Carsey School of Public Policy. UNH is internationally known for ocean engineering and ocean mapping (the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping is a NOAA Joint Hydrographic Center), Antarctic and space-physics research (the EOS Space Science Center has built instruments flown on multiple NASA missions including Voyager), and food/nutrition sciences. Popular undergraduate majors include Business Administration, Psychology, Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Communication and Nursing. Life in Durham, NH is defined by its small-town New England charm — clapboard storefronts on Main Street, the Wildcat Transit running students directly into Boston, an active Greek scene, and immediate access to the Atlantic coast (just 11 miles east), the White Mountains, and ski country. UNH Wildcats compete in the Hockey East and CAA conferences, with men's hockey at the Whittemore Center being a defining cultural fixture. The international student community is small (~3% overall, ~1% undergraduate, ~16% graduate) but supported by a dedicated Office of International Students and Scholars and growing pathways for English-medium and direct-admit international applicants.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Top Public Schools
US News 2026
Ocean Engineering (Graduate)
US News 2024
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$18,900 – $36,100
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$35,290 – $36,100
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited business school with concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Information Systems Management, International Business and Economics, Management and Marketing — plus distinctive Hospitality Management and Economics programs.
Houses UNH's Sea Grant ocean engineering programs, Space Science Center (EOS), and engineering disciplines anchored by strong undergraduate research with national-lab partners.
UNH's Land Grant heart — biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, nutrition, animal science, and the nationally distinctive Wildlife & Conservation Biology program.
UNH's largest professional college, anchored by a top-rated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, plus Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Kinesiology.
UNH's foundational arts and humanities college, including a notable Communication major, Psychology, English and Languages.
4 years
One of the few undergraduate ocean engineering programs in the U.S., partnered with NOAA's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping.
4 years
Field-intensive biology program leveraging UNH's Land Grant farms, the New Hampshire seacoast, and the White Mountains for hands-on ecology research.
4 years
AACSB-accredited business core with seven optional concentrations and an active Bloomberg-equipped trading lab; deep alumni pipelines into Boston-area finance and consulting.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $39,852
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
