More than 124,000 people visit the museum every year, each soaking in just a small portion of the substantial collections organized and displayed at the museum. In 1981, enrollment topped 5,000 students for the first time. The university also began to emphasize its shared scholarship and global education effort in a series of agreements signed with schools in Japan, Denmark, Canada, the People's Republic of China and Russia. Today More than 9,000 students from all 50 states and 43 foreign countries attend UAF, either at its Fairbanks campus, at a branch campus, a learning center, or by distance delivery in more than 100 communities. Teaching Accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, UAF's colleges and schools offer degrees or certificates in more than 70 disciplines, including technical and vocational fields.
Students can study at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels.
UAF is the only insitution in the state offering doctoral degrees. Research UAF is the research institution of the University of Alaska system and is ranked in the top 100 research institutions in the United States. Just 150 miles from the Arctic Circle, UAF has grown since its founding in 1917 to become a world leader in high-latitude studies. Not all the people served by UAF sit in classrooms. UAF provides services to Alaska residents through its Alaska Cooperative Extension and the Marine Advisory Program, all of which help interpret and transfer results to the people of the state.