The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) is a research, policy, and advocacy organization of public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and higher education organizations. It has member campuses in all of the United States as well as the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico.

The roots of APLU were established in October 1887 as the American Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, making it North America's oldest higher education association.^[1] The first annual convention was held that year in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Pennsylvania State University president George W. Atherton was elected president of the Board of Directors.^[2] Through the years, APLU has undergone a number of name changes to reflect its growing public higher education mission. In 1919, the Land-Grant Colleges Engineering Association merged with the association.^[3] A few years later in 1926, the organization changed its name to the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities.^[3] In 1963, the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities merged with the National Association of State Universities to form the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).^[3] On March 30, 2009, the association adopted its current name—Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.^[4]

The association has more than 250 members including: all land-grant institutions; R1 and R2 public research universities; state university systems; and affiliated organizations. These institutions include 79 U.S. land-grant institutions, 19 of which are among the 23 historically black colleges and universities that are APLU members. There are also eight Canadian and five Mexican public research universities.^[7][8]