The University of Akron is a coeducation

Coeducation

Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...

al public

Public university

A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...

 research university located in Akron, Ohio

Akron, Ohio

Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The university is part of the University System of Ohio

University System of Ohio

The University System of Ohio is the public university system of the state of Ohio. Legally unified under Governor Ted Strickland in 2007, the University System of Ohio is governed by the Ohio Board of Regents....

. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church

Universalist Church of America

The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States . Known from 1866 as the Universalist General Convention, the name was changed to the Universalist Church of America in 1942...

. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of Akron

Akron, Ohio

Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

. In 1967 the university became a state institution. The University of Akron is regarded as a world leader in polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...

 research. As a STEM

STEM fields

STEM fields is a US Government acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym is in use regarding access to work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields...

-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering.