Lindenwood University

Private · Moderately Selective · MO

Photo: Bhockey10 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMO · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads4,624

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate38.2%

6-yr grad rate49.3%

Drop-out rate34.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$22k

Out-of-state tuition$22k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.1%

Gender diversity60.3%

International5.7%

Identity—

Overview

A private university in St. Charles, Missouri, on the Missouri River outside St. Louis, founded in 1827 and among the oldest colleges west of the Mississippi. It combines a career-oriented approach to the liberal arts with an unusually large athletics program for a school its size.

Academics

Business, education, and communication are the most established programs, taught with a practical, job-preparation orientation rather than a research-university emphasis. Lindenwood has also built out media and design-related programs, including esports and game design, that reflect newer student interest areas alongside its traditional professional majors.

Campus & student life

The historic St. Charles campus sits in a well-preserved river town, a short drive from St. Louis for students who want a bigger city nearby. Athletics is a defining feature of student life — Lindenwood fields one of the largest NCAA sports offerings in the country for its size, meaning a large share of students are recruited athletes, and that shapes much of the campus's social rhythm.

Getting in

Admission is generally accessible, with a track record of merit scholarships aimed at drawing students who might otherwise attend a pricier private school; athletic recruiting plays a visible role in the applicant pool given the size of the sports program.

After graduation

Business and communication graduates tend to place regionally around St. Louis, and the scale of the athletics program means a meaningful share of alumni identity is tied to their sport as much as their major.

Worth knowing

The scope of Lindenwood's athletics program, spanning dozens of varsity sports, is unusual enough that prospective students should know it shapes campus culture more than at most schools of comparable size.

lindenwood.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate56.8%

Enrolled mid-50%ACT 22–28

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying