acronym for “Primarily Undergraduate Institution”. Refers to a college or university where the focus is on the undergrad experience.
The lack of a PUI designation doesn’t mean an institutions does not focus on the undergrad experience. Rather, PUIs usually have very few graduate programs, if any. Speaking broadly, PUIs have the potential to offer students more interaction with faculty. PUIs often offer students leadership opportunities in research, although research activities may have a different scope than at universities with large labs incorporating graduate and postdoctoral researchers.