The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a four-year state university located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1974, it is one of four separate and distinct institutions in the University of Houston System. UHD has an enrollment of 12,900 students—making it the 13 largest public university in Texas and the second-largest university in the Houston area. The university serves students in four academic colleges with a campus in Houston's central business district and satellite locations at various Lone Star College campuses throughout the northern Houston metropolitan region. UHD offers nearly 50 degree programs: 45 bachelors and four masters. Awarding more than 2,400 degrees annually, the university's alumni base is nearly 30,000. Recognizing the need for a university presence in Downtown Houston, the Board of Regents of the University of Houston acquired the assets of South Texas Junior College on August 6, 1974 and then opened the University of Houston–Downtown College (UH/DC) as a four-year institution under the organization and control of the University of Houston.