The University of North Florida, founded in 1972, is a public university in Jacksonville on the northeast Florida coast. With about 17,000 students, UNF is known for its nursing, business, education, and music programs. The campus is distinctive for its location within a protected nature preserve — the 1,300-acre campus borders the Sawmill Slough Preserve — giving students a uniquely natural college environment in the middle of Florida's largest city.