Saint Louis University

Private · Moderately Selective · MO

Photo: Warren LeMay (CC BY-SA 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMO · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads7,267

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate72.4%

6-yr grad rate79.5%

Drop-out rate12.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$56k

Out-of-state tuition$56k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity46.5%

Gender diversity59.2%

International4.9%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Jesuit research university in midtown St. Louis, one of the oldest universities west of the Mississippi River. SLU combines a Catholic, Jesuit mission of service with a genuine research profile, giving it a different character from smaller Jesuit liberal-arts colleges — it operates more like a mid-sized research university that carries Jesuit values through its curriculum and campus culture. It draws a national student body, with a meaningful international presence tied to its Madrid campus.

Academics

Pre-med and the health sciences are SLU's clearest strength, with a physical therapy program regarded as one of the best in the country and strong pipelines into medical school. Aviation science, an unusual offering for a university this size, dates back decades and remains a distinctive program. International studies benefits directly from SLU's own campus in Madrid, Spain, which undergraduates can attend for a semester or longer as a genuine extension of the university rather than a third-party study-abroad partner. The Jesuit core curriculum requires broad coursework across disciplines regardless of major.

Campus & student life

The midtown St. Louis campus is walkable and self-contained, with a mix of historic and modern buildings a short distance from the city's cultural institutions. Service and social-justice commitments, central to Jesuit education, run through campus organizations and coursework rather than existing as a side program. Campus life balances a serious academic culture with Division I athletics, and the urban setting gives students direct access to St. Louis without the campus feeling like an island within the city.

Getting in

Admission is holistic, and SLU's Jesuit mission shows up in what it values in applicants — service commitments and demonstrated interest in the university's values carry real weight alongside academics. Pre-health and pre-med applicants are common and often express clear interest in SLU's medical and physical therapy pipelines specifically.

Worth knowing

The Madrid campus is a genuine SLU campus, not an exchange partnership, and a meaningful share of undergraduates spend time there. The physical therapy program's reputation draws applicants specifically for that pipeline, often years before they apply to the graduate program itself.

slu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate75%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1200–1410 · ACT 25–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying