Concordia University Chicago is a Lutheran university—a place where the Gospel lives and forms our students, a place where students engage important questions and Truth, and a place where students discover their vocations. Our meaningful work is to help them discover their God-given talents and gifts and determine how best to carry them out into the world to serve others.
A Focus on Service and Faith
As a private, liberal-arts-based university, our vibrant, engaging academic community is designed to help students reach their full potential. CUC cultivates within each of its students the ideals of a Christian life with Jesus Christ at the center of all they do. Within that framework, our students seek greater meaning in their vocations as they pursue ways to serve the greater good and mature in their faith.
A Rich History
Founded in 1864 as Addison Lutheran Teachers Seminary, today CUC is a comprehensive university with more than 6,000 full-time students enrolled in baccalaureate, master's and doctoral study. Affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), the University is one of eight colleges and universities that are part of a nationwide Concordia University System.
Our Commitment
Our faithfulness to our Lutheran identity, our commitment to vocation, and our dedication to providing a transformational education within the context of a variety of high-quality academic programs, along with our proximity to Chicago, all combine to make CUC an ideal destination for students locally, nationally and from around the world.
For more than 150 years, Concordia-Chicago has equipped students to serve and lead with integrity and compassion.
Enrich your academic experience by integrating faith into your daily life.
Our Mission
Steadfast in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, Concordia University Chicago promotes academic rigor in its liberal arts and professional programs; grounds students in objective truth, integrity, and excellence; and practices faithfulness to the Confessional teachings of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as it forms students for vocations in church, family, and the world.
Our Vision
Concordia University Chicago is a Christ-centered Lutheran university where truth, freedom, and vocation form students for lives of influence and service for the common good.
Our Core Values
As a Christian university of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, we, at Concordia University Chicago, value:
Christian Faith: The Christian faith is an integral part of our community.
The Individual: As a member of God’s creation, each person is unique and is blessed with inherent worth.
Excellence: We strive for excellence in who we are and what we do.
Integrity: Our community demonstrates the accord between our beliefs and practices.
Service: Recognizing and addressing the needs of others is a response to God’s love for us, and a reflection of God’s love for them.
U.S. News & World Report ranks Concordia-Chicago among Best Value universities
In the U.S. News & World Report rankings released today, Concordia University Chicago was recognized as a Best Regional University – Midwest, Best Value – Regional Universities Midwest, Top Performer on Social Mobility – Regional Universities Midwest and listed for Best Ethnic Diversity – Regional Universities Midwest.
“Our exceptional faculty and staff work tirelessly to make Concordia-Chicago the university of choice for so many students,” said Dr. Russell P. Dawn, president of Concordia University Chicago. “This national recognition by U.S. News & World Report reminds us of what we already know about the value of the well-rounded education we provide to our diverse student body.”
U.S. News evaluated all programs on graduation rate, student-faculty ratio, ACT/SAT scores and acceptance rate, among other factors. Concordia-Chicago scored notably well in class size, with 78 percent of classes made up of 20 or fewer students. The Best Value rankings were determined by the ratio of quality to price, percentage of undergraduates receiving need-based aid and average discount.
Among the Top Performers on Social Mobility, CUC was ranked for how well it graduates students who receive federal Pell Grants, which typically go to students whose family income is less than $50,000 a year, and in most cases less than $20,000. Economically disadvantaged students are less likely to finish college, and this ranking places CUC among universities that are "more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants."
Concordia-Chicago was also among 28 universities recognized for the diversity of its student body. This stands as a testament to the University’s reach around the world, enrolling undergraduate and graduate students from various backgrounds. Separately, the U.S. Department of Education named CUC a Hispanic Serving Institution, in recognition of an undergraduate Latino population of 25 percent or greater.
