About Washington University

Washington University in St. Louis is an independent university known internationally for excellence in teaching and research and for the quality of its faculty and student body. Founded in 1853 as a nondenominational community of scholars, the University ranks among the nation's leaders in higher education. Its undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs are highly regarded.

Medium-sized and coeducational, Washington University has two primary campuses on the western edge of St. Louis separated by Forest Park, site of the 1904 World's Fair and one of the nation's largest metropolitan parks. St. Louis is a cosmopolitan area, offering a wide array of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities for its more than 2.6 million residents.

The 169-acre Hilltop Campus, bordered on three sides by the communities of Clayton and University City, features predominantly collegiate Gothic architecture in its academic buildings, several of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has an adjacent complex of modern student residence houses.

The 59-acre Medical Campus in the fashionable Central West End includes the School of Medicine and the associated hospitals and institutes of Washington University Medical Center. With other areas, including the West Campus administrative offices, library annex, and off-site parking in Clayton; the North Campus in University City; and Tyson Research Center southwest of the city, the University comprises 2,267 acres and more than 150 major buildings.

The University offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor's degrees and master's and doctoral programs in a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary as well as traditional fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs.