University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Founded in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society, the University of Chicago is a private, nondenominational, coeducational research university. Current student enrollment is almost 15,000 students, made up primarily of graduate and professional studies students. In fact, the student body consists of almost twice as many graduate students as undergraduates.
The campus occupies 211 acres in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, just seven miles south of “the Loop” (downtown). Academically, the university is split into five Divisions: Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and the new Collegiate Division, which is responsible for interdisciplinary majors and any major that does not fit snugly into one of the other four schools.
Within those Divisions, the university currently offers 50 academic majors and 28 minors. Regardless of major, all students are required to complete an interdisciplinary core curriculum that consists of 15 classes and proficiency in a foreign language.
The University of Chicago is one of the United States’ most respected universities, which is obvious when one learns that it is currently ranked 5th in the nation and tied with Stanford on U.S. News & World Report’s list of best universities in the country. The university also boasts the largest publisher of academic books and journals in the country, the University of Chicago Press.
The University of Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.
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