University of Chicago

Overview

The University of Chicago is a research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1890, UChicago has continuously ranked among the world’s best universities. It encourages free and open inquiry through the university motto: “Let knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched.”

UChicago undergraduate programs are housed in The College of the University of Chicago. It offers a wide range of courses from Humanities to Biological Sciences, Cinema and Media Studies, History, Entrepreneurship, Linguistics, Computational and Applied Mathematics, and International Relations.

For students who wish to embark on graduate studies, UChicago has four graduate divisions namely the Biological Sciences Division, Humanities Division, Physical Sciences Division, and the Social Sciences Division. It also runs seven professional schools and the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies.

UChicago’s main campus is in Hyde Park and totals 217 acres. It is a designated botanic garden and was recognized as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the US by Travel+Leisure. Aside from its main campus, the university also maintains satellite campuses in Streeterville in downtown Chicago, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Paris, and New Delhi.

The history of UChicago was funded with an initial pledge of $600,000 from John Rockefeller. It was established with a vision to create a community of great scholars and give “opportunities for all departments of higher education to persons of both sexes on equal terms.” Its first president, William Rainey Harper, valued the recruitment of outstanding faculty and followed the English tradition of an undergraduate college combined with German-style graduate research institute.

By 1907, The University of Chicago had won its first Nobel Prize through American physicist Albert A. Michelson’s breakthrough work on measuring the speed of light. Since then, the university has produced 100 Nobel laureates and its scholars continue to contribute advancements in major academic disciplines such as economics, mathematics, sociology, literary criticism, law, and political science.

UChicago alumni have also shaped the world through arts and literature. Among alumni, Pulitzer Prize winners are Carl Sagan (General Non-fiction), Rick Atkinson (History/National Reporting), Philip Roth (Fiction), and Michael Aronson (Editorial Writing).

In 2015, the university marked its 125th founding anniversary through the theme “125 Years of Inquiry and Impact.” The theme reflected on the university’s motto and emphasized its continuing commitment to producing rigorous scholarship and making a “positive impact on the world through academic work, creative pursuit, and outward engagement.”