Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions and many state university systems. The association's overriding mission is to support high-quality public higher education and its member institutions as they perform their learning, discovery and engagement missions.

The association's 217 members include campuses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. The membership consists of 187 public and land-grant universities, 25 state university systems and five higher education-related organizations. The total includes 74 U.S. land-grant institutions, of which 18 are historically black institutions. In addition, APLU represents the interests of the nation's American Indian land-grant colleges through the membership of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC).

APLU campuses enroll more than 3.6 million undergraduate and 1.1 million graduate students, employ more than 645,000 faculty and professional staff and conduct nearly two-thirds of all federally funded university-based research, totaling more than
34 billion annually.

With a legacy dating back to 1887, A?P?L?U is the nation's oldest higher education association. The organization adopted a new name in March 2009; it was previously known as the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). APLU is governed by a Chair and a Board of Directors and led by President Peter McPherson, who directs a staff of more than 40.