The University of Evansville (UE) is a private university in Evansville, Indiana, with a history dating to 1854. Located on a 75-acre campus on the east side of Evansville, the university is one of the city’s major educational institutions and is known for its Purple Aces athletic programs, small class sizes, international study opportunities, and long relationship with the Evansville community.
Although the institution was founded elsewhere in Indiana, its move to Evansville in 1919 became an important event in the city’s educational history. Originally known locally as Evansville College, the school adopted the name University of Evansville in 1967.
History
The institution traces its origins to Moores Hill Male and Female Collegiate Institute, chartered on February 10, 1854, in Moores Hill, Indiana, a small community west of Cincinnati. Classes began in 1856.
The school was unusual for its era because it educated both men and women. It was renamed Moores Hill College in 1887.
By the early 20th century, the college faced challenges associated with its rural location. Evansville businessman George Clifford helped lead an effort to relocate the institution to Evansville. At the time, Evansville was a growing industrial city but lacked an accredited college within approximately 50 miles.
The proposal received extraordinary support from the community. In 1917, Evansville residents raised $500,000 in approximately one week to help bring the college to the city.
The institution relocated to Evansville and was incorporated as Evansville College on February 17, 1919.
Evansville College achieved accreditation in 1931 and expanded significantly during the following decades as the city and surrounding region grew.
On February 17, 1967, the institution was officially incorporated as the University of Evansville.
Campus
The University of Evansville’s main campus occupies approximately 75 acres in Evansville.
The campus contains more than 30 major buildings and includes academic facilities, residence halls, athletic facilities, performance spaces, and student gathering areas.
Among the recognizable locations associated with the university are Olmsted Hall, Neu Chapel, the Ridgway University Center, the Krannert Fine Arts Building, and the Carson Center.
The university has continued to renovate and expand its facilities as academic programs and student needs have changed.
Academics
The University of Evansville is a private liberal arts and sciences-based university offering undergraduate and graduate education.
Its academic organization includes:
- William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business and Engineering
- College of Education and Health Sciences
Within these colleges are programs in fields including business, engineering, computer science, education, nursing, health sciences, communication, psychology, music, theatre, sciences, humanities, and other disciplines.
UE offers more than 75 undergraduate majors and programs as well as graduate and doctoral programs.
The university has traditionally emphasized relatively small classes. UE reports an average class size of approximately 15 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 10:1.
Harlaxton
One of the University of Evansville’s most distinctive programs is Harlaxton, its study abroad center near Grantham, England.
Harlaxton is based at Harlaxton Manor, a large 19th-century manor house in Lincolnshire. University of Evansville students can spend a semester or summer studying there while also traveling throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
The program has become a major part of UE’s identity and has helped establish study abroad as one of the university’s best-known academic experiences.
Purple Aces
University of Evansville athletic teams are known as the Purple Aces.
UE competes in NCAA Division I athletics and is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. The university sponsors 17 varsity sports.
Men’s basketball has historically been one of the university’s most visible athletic programs and has played an important role in Evansville’s sports culture.
Before joining NCAA Division I competition, Evansville College developed a nationally successful basketball program at the NCAA College Division level.
1977 Basketball Team Plane Crash
One of the darkest events in both University of Evansville and Evansville history occurred on December 13, 1977.
A chartered aircraft carrying the University of Evansville men’s basketball team crashed shortly after taking off from Evansville’s airport while the team was traveling to play Middle Tennessee State University.
All aboard the aircraft were killed.
The tragedy devastated the university and the Evansville community and remains one of the most significant events in the school’s history. Memorials and commemorations have continued to honor the players, coaches, staff members, and others who died.
The event remains deeply connected to the history of the Purple Aces and the city itself.
Basketball Tradition
Basketball had already become closely associated with Evansville College before the university entered Division I athletics.
Under legendary coach Arad McCutchan, Evansville became one of the dominant programs in NCAA College Division basketball. McCutchan coached Evansville from 1946 to 1977 and led the Purple Aces to five NCAA College Division national championships.
Those championships came in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, and 1971.
The success of the program helped make college basketball a major part of Evansville’s sports identity.
The Purple Aces later transitioned to NCAA Division I competition.
Theatre and the Arts
The University of Evansville has also developed a national reputation for its theatre program.
UE theatre graduates have gone on to careers in acting, directing, production, design, and other areas of the entertainment industry.
The university’s arts programs, particularly theatre and music, have also contributed to Evansville’s broader cultural community through performances, concerts, productions, and public events.
Relationship with Evansville
The University of Evansville has maintained a close relationship with the city since its relocation in 1919.
The fact that Evansville residents raised the money necessary to bring the institution to the city illustrates how strongly local leaders viewed higher education as part of Evansville’s future.
Over the following century, thousands of students came to Evansville to attend the university, while generations of local residents attended Evansville College and later the University of Evansville.
Faculty, graduates, students, athletic programs, performances, and university initiatives have played continuing roles in the civic and cultural life of the city.
The university also operates programs that connect students with local organizations and community projects, including its ChangeLab experiential learning program.
Enrollment
The University of Evansville is a relatively small private university.
UE reports a total student population of more than 2,000 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students, with students representing numerous states and countries.
The university reported significant enrollment growth in 2025, including increases in its incoming freshman, undergraduate, and graduate populations.
Religious Affiliation
The University of Evansville is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Its Methodist connection dates to the institution’s earliest history at Moores Hill. Although church-related, UE serves students from a wide variety of religious and cultural backgrounds.
Neu Chapel, located on the Evansville campus, is one of the university’s most recognizable buildings and has historically served as a center of spiritual life.
Legacy
More than a century after Evansville residents helped bring the college to the city, the University of Evansville remains one of Evansville’s most recognizable institutions.
Its history spans three principal identities:
Moores Hill Male and Female Collegiate Institute / Moores Hill College (1854–1919)
Evansville College (1919–1967)
University of Evansville (1967–present)
From the city’s successful campaign to bring the college to Evansville in 1919, through the championship basketball era, the tragedy of the 1977 basketball team plane crash, and the university’s development into an internationally connected institution, UE has occupied a distinctive place in the educational, athletic, and cultural history of Evansville.