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Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Established in 1853 by a group of civic leaders, it was named for George Washington. The university spans 355 acres across its Danforth and Medical campuses. Washington University comprises eight schools, including Arts and Sciences, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Olin Business School, Washington University School of Medicine, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University School of Law, School of Continuing & Professional Studies, and Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. It offers more than 150 undergraduate, 80 master's and professional, and 50 doctoral degree programs. , Washington University enrolled approximately 16,400 students representing all 50 U.S. states and more than 110 countries.

The university was established due to a concern of a lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest. Its first classes were held in 1854 in Downtown St. Louis. In 1905, the university moved from downtown to a new site north and west of Forest Park. The new location allowed Washington University to expand and build new facilities to accommodate its growing student population and academic programs. The first campus building, Busch Hall, was laid on October 20, 1900. Construction of Brookings Hall, Ridgley, and Cupples began shortly thereafter. Washington University postponed occupying these buildings until 1905 to accommodate the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Summer Olympics. By 1964, over two-thirds of incoming students came from outside the St. Louis area. In 2021, Washington University adopted a need-blind undergraduate admissions policy.

A member of the Association of American Universities since 1923, Washington University is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university received over 32,750 applications for the class of 2028 and admitted 12 percent. It supports more than 400 undergraduate student organizations. The university's athletic teams, the Washington University Bears compete in NCAA Division III as founding members of the University Athletic Association. The Bears have won 26 NCAA Division III Championships.

Governance of the university is overseen by a Board of Trustees, which ensures its alignment with educational, financial, and social objectives. The university is led by a Chancellor, who serves as the leader of the university. The university's endowment of $12.0 billion is among the fifteen largest in the United States. Washington University has been selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to host more presidential and vice presidential debates than any other institution in history.

, 26 Nobel laureates, 11 Pulitzer Prize winners, 4 United States Poets Laureate, and 6 MacArthur Fellows have been affiliated with the university as faculty or alumni. Washington University alumni also include 17 university presidents, 21 members of the United States Congress, 30 Rhodes Scholars, 20 Truman Scholars, 7 Marshall Scholars and 2 Churchill Scholars. Washington University is also top producer of Fulbright scholars. Provided by Wikipedia