History, Affiliations and Rankings
SLU became the first institution of higher-learning west of the Mississippi River when Saint Louis Academy (later known as Saint Louis College) was founded in a private residence near the Mississippi River at the request of the Rev. Louis William DuBourg, Catholic Bishop of Louisiana. The history of SLU's College of Arts and Sciences dates back to the original Saint Louis Academy. The university is affiliated with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and Space-grant. The Times Higher Education ranked them in the bracket #501-600 in the category of World University Rankings 2022. It is ranked #141-150 in the category of US Universities by the QS. It is ranked #103 in National Universities (tie), #133 in Best Colleges for Veterans (tie) and #58 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie) by U.S News and World Report.
Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses
Saint Louis University is split into two campuses: one in St. Louis, Missouri, and the other in Madrid, Spain. SLU's main campus is within walking distance of St. Louis' performing arts center, the Cortex Innovation District (one of the reasons St. Louis is one of the top startup cities in America), and Prospect Yards, a new urban social and economic hub. SLU offers tour options that allow one to see campus in a day or spend a whole weekend getting to know St. Louis. It is an easy trip from more than 300 towns. The Princeton Review's 2018 Guide to 399 Green Colleges selected SLU as one of the nation's finest green institutions. The list highlighted universities that have shown outstanding commitments to sustainability in their academic programs, policies, and programming. Nearly 100 Undergraduate programs and around the same number of Graduate courses, as well as more than 40 study abroad programs, are available at the University.
Accomplishments and Alumni
The Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award was given to SLU for the first time. In 2020, it gave $400 million in total aid to students, with 98% of SLU's first-time freshmen receiving financial aid, and $53 million in external research support in 2021. Saint Louis University's Division of Facilities Services received the 2014 Effective and Innovative Practices Award from the Association for Leadership in Educational Facilities (APPA) for Strategic Planning and Culture Change Practice, Improving Waste Management, and In-House Construction Program. Because of the sustainability in transforming the West Pine Gym into the Centre for Global Citizenship, the Department of Facilities Planning and Construction was nominated for the Growing Green Awards – Emerging Leader category. Sierra Magazine's "Cool Schools" green ranking list has included Saint Louis University. SLU has more than 135,000 alumni living in all 50 states and 154 countries. Some of the notable names are Robert Guillaume, American Actor, James Gunn, American Filmmaker and Ed Macauley, Professional Basketball Player.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
A total of 12,883 students from all 50 US states and 22 countries are registered at the University. The Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award was given to SLU for the first time. More than 90% of SLU's recent graduates are employed, continuing their education, or participating in service projects, according to self-reported data. Nearly 200 student organizations exist at the university. The Student Involvement Centre encourages and assists students in attending local events throughout the year. Accenture, EY, Mastercard, Deloitte and Amazon are among the top employers of the University’s graduates.
