Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis William Valentine DuBourg, Saint Louis University is a premier private Catholic Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri. As the oldest university west of the Mississippi River and the second-oldest Jesuit university in the United States, SLU spans a vibrant 282-acre urban campus in Midtown St. Louis. You can explore its historic founding, Jesuit heritage, and urban development through the Saint Louis University Wikipedia historical entry.
When you study at SLU, you enter a values-driven academic community characterized by ethical leadership, community service, and rigorous interdisciplinary research. Living in Midtown St. Louis places you at the center of the city's Grand Center Arts District, giving you direct access to theaters, medical centers, corporate headquarters, and museum parks.
Premier Academic Programs
SLU hosts 12 specialized colleges and schools delivering accredited undergraduate and graduate instruction:
- Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business: Nationally recognized for international business, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, and finance. Explore degree programs on the Chaifetz School of Business portal.
- School of Medicine: Historic medical school driving biomedical research, clinical trials, and healthcare delivery across the region.
- School of Law: Premier law school specializing in health law, trial advocacy, and public interest legal clinics.
- Doisy College of Health Sciences: Prepares clinical physical therapists, occupational therapists, and medical laboratory scientists.
- Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology: America's first federally certified aviation school, leading aerospace and engineering education.
"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, translated from Latin as For the Greater Glory of God, serves as SLU's official motto, inspiring lives dedicated to service."
Campus Culture and Mascot
Your daily student experience centers on the Clock Tower plaza, DuBourg Hall, and the Busch Student Center. School spirit revolves around the Billiken, a unique mythical mascot symbolizing good luck and things as they ought to be, who leads student cheers during NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference athletic events. You can read about the mascot history and spirit traditions on the official SLU Billikens Athletics portal. Cheering inside Chaifetz Arena for basketball games and joining over 200 student clubs creates an energetic campus culture.
Research Infrastructure and Bioethics Discovery
SLU operates an active doctoral research enterprise backed by specialized medical and bioethics centers:
- Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics: Nationally renowned research center addressing complex ethical challenges in clinical medicine and biotechnology.
- Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Center for Neuroscience: Interdisciplinary research institute investigating brain disorders, stroke, and neuro-degeneration. Learn more via SLU Research Operations.
- Water Institute at SLU: Focuses on clean water access, aquatic ecosystem health, and watershed policy.
Notable Alumni Legacy
You walk in the footsteps of cabinet officers, medical pioneers, corporate leaders, and broadcasting legends, including:
- Gene Kranz: NASA flight director who directed the Apollo 13 lunar landing rescue mission, who earned his aerospace degree at SLU.
- August Busch III: Former Chairman and CEO of Anheuser-Busch Companies who studied business at SLU.
- James Gunn: Filmmaker and executive co-CEO of DC Studios who studied at SLU.
- Bob Costas: Hall of Fame sports broadcaster who began his broadcasting career while attending SLU.
SLU provides generous merit scholarship coverage and need-based financial assistance for domestic and international students. Review full admission standards and application steps on the official SLU Admissions portal.