This Southern U.S. university bursts with school spirit. Expect to see plenty of people wearing purple and gold as you walk through campus, especially during Tigers football season. (In fact, LSU’s mascot is a living, breathing Tiger. His name is Mike, and you can visit his habitat located across the street from the Tiger Stadium.) Campus is rife with old Live Oak trees, which give the setting a serene atmosphere. Also, LSU’s campus is hugged by two water sources: the Mississippi River on one side, and University Lake on the other. Many of the original campus buildings boast stunning Italian architecture with arched entryways and red clay roofs. From Parade Ground, a popular tailgating and Frisbee-playing spot, you have a clear view a 175-foot clock tower. Let’s just say you have no excuse for being late to class! Along with its natural and architectural beauty, LSU offers modern classroom buildings, recreation facilities, dining areas, and residence halls. First-year students can live in Residential Colleges where they can room with classmates in their majors. Live together, learn together, and succeed together. Students who are over 21 or are married can stay in family and graduate apartments. That way you can bring your loved ones to LSU!

You can earn college credit by taking undergraduate courses through LSUOnline. Check out Continuing Education’s online course list; it features classes on technical writing, accounting, graphic design, literature, foreign languages, and more. You can even take courses in a self-paced format. Or, you could pursue one of three undergraduate certificates: business communication, human services, and liberal studies. Certificates are a great option if you want to get your feet wet with college coursework to discover your ideal area of study while still earning credit toward a degree. If you’re ready to commit to pursuing a fully online degree, peruse LSU’s list of online graduate programs. For starters, they offer business administration, social work, and kinesiology. But if you crave the on-campus experience, find out if there are any LSU campus branches closer to you. Campuses are located throughout Louisiana in cities like Alexandria and New Orleans. You can meet LSU’s programs where they are or virtually bring them to your home.

If you ever doubted the seriousness and excitement with which the LSU fans take their school’s athletics, here’s a wakeup call: USA Today’s College Football Fan Index ranked LSU the number one school for tailgating in 2014. Where else can you spot fans roasting alligator over an open flame? Tiger pride runs through everyone’s blood in the LSU community—but none more than its live Tiger mascot, Mike. And LSU takes athletic competition just as seriously as it does its festivities. The NCAA Division I Tigers football team claimed three of LSU’s 47 total national championships. They’re known to pack the Tigers Stadium with upwards of 100,000 roaring fans. Also, the Lady Tigers have dominated indoor and outdoor track with their Tiger-like stride. Since 1987 they have won a total of 25 national championships. LSU athletes may wear purple, but they reach for the gold.

According to the LSU website, at least 1,000 research projects are happening at any moment. LSU is home to well over 100 research centers. Some major areas of faculty research at LSU include biomedical research, coastal sustainability, and material science and engineering. And their efforts are certainly newsworthy. For example, in 2016, physicists and graduate students were recognized for detecting gravitational waves produced by two black holes that were colliding—over a billion light years away! Do you want to get a head start on finding research areas you might find interesting? You can do a research opportunity search here. Even first year students can get involved with studies on topics like long-term memory or language acquisition and comprehension. You might get to help to co-author a publication or interview study participants—awesome experiences to have as an undergrad if you plan to go to graduate school. If you’re really determined to make a difference, you could apply to become a Discover Scholar. Discover scholars are undergraduate students who work on creative research projects with the guidance of research faculty. Or, if you’ve got the grades, apply for a seat in the Honor’s College. You’ll get to work closely with advisors who will help you shape a rigorous, exciting four-year study plan. Whether you’re thinking about a career veterinary science, law, healthcare, engineering, or something totally unexpected, LSU’s skilled faculty and staff will help you lay the groundwork.