Loyola University Chicago

Loyola University Chicago, a private university founded in 1870 as St. Ignatius College, is one of the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic Universities and the only one located in Chicago.
Loyola University Chicago comprises four campuses: Lake Shore (LSC), Water Tower (WTC), Health Sciences (HSC), and the John Felice Rome Center in Italy, and it is home to 13 schools, colleges, and institutes: Quinlan School of Business, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Stritch School of Medicine, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, School of Education, School of Law, School of Social Work, Graduate School, Institute of Pastoral Studies, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, and Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago. Loyola also features course locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vernon Hills, Illinois, and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois.
Recognizing Loyola's excellence in education, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Loyola consistently among the top "national universities" in its annual publications. Loyola is among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Our faculty, staff, and students come from all faiths and backgrounds, but together, we strive toward the same goal, being men and women for and with others. But what makes a Jesuit university different? Our students receive an education that stresses the importance of knowledge, curiosity, global perspectives, and cura personalis, which translates to "care for the whole person."
Our Loyola community is not afraid to get its hands dirty cleaning up neighborhood parks and gardens—or use its expertise to mentor girls interested in STEM programs. They research local food deserts and volunteer with our student-run farmers market to make healthy food more accessible. Here, we don't talk about making the world a better place—we get to work.
Loyola University Chicago is deeply rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of social responsibility through critical thinking and informed actions. We encourage students to become engaged citizens who take seriously how they express themselves and how they choose to be in the world. We encourage students to find their voice and use it for a greater common good—to be people for and with others. Loyola assures applicants that Loyola University Chicago will not penalize them nor rescind any admission decision for applicants who choose to protest peacefully against gun violence, even if that action is contrary to their high school's disciplinary policy.
This distinctive and transformative approach to education takes place daily inside and outside of our classrooms. A Loyola education encompasses experiential learning and the development of each student to his or her fullest potential. We are guided by the Jesuit ethos of cura personalis, "care of the whole person," and an orientation toward service in which students direct their education toward meeting the needs of individuals and society in a quest for empathy, insight, and social justice.
At Loyola, we provide our students with opportunities for rigorous educational experiences that help them form their commitment to live extraordinary lives of consequence through leadership and service in their professions, in their communities, and around the world.
The commitment to a high-quality education that balances theory and practice, research and engagement, is at the heart of our work in the Division of Academic Affairs. The division is responsible for excellence in our academic programs and student success. The division oversees the implementation of the university's strategic plan. The Division of Academic Affairs includes eleven Colleges and Schools, Institutes and Centers, University Libraries, Global Initiatives, Enrollment Management, Student Academic Services, University Core Curriculum, and Honors Program. Research is an essential element of the work of our faculty and our students at all levels. As a Carnegie (High) Research University, we are the largest Catholic research university in the United States. We are deeply committed to advancing science and research across disciplines to address our times' most challenging questions. Loyola has also been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for service-learning and community engagement.
At Loyola University Chicago, exceptional faculty, students, and staff work every day to sustain and enhance the quality of our education and the university's impact on higher education and the city, country, and world. It is the Office of the Provost's mission to drive quality and innovation and assure that Loyola continues to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
We firmly believe that part of Loyola's promise to prepare people to lead extraordinary lives requires us to be a home for all cultures and people. We embrace all races, sexes, gender identities, gender expressions, religions, ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, abilities, and residency statuses. We foster the success and community building of historically underrepresented student populations through mentorship, multicultural education, academic support, and celebration of our unique shared experiences.
The Department of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs strives to be the preeminent Ignatian social justice education model and multicultural student success. Through facilitating intentional reflection of the intersections of identities and critical social analysis of systems of privilege and oppression, SDMA seeks to enhance the experience of all members of the Loyola community by cultivating culturally competent agents of social change.