Elmhurst College

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

School Says - General Information
A private liberal arts college in the heart of metropolitan Chicago, Elmhurst College ranks in the top tier of its category, according to U.S.News & World Report. With a student-faculty ratio of only 13:1, Elmhurst offers a personal approach where every student counts. All classes at Elmhurst are taught by professors, not teaching assistants, and about 84 percent of the College's 127 full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their field.

The College is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, a quiet suburb that ranks Number 1 in a Chicago magazine survey of the "best places to live." Downtown Chicago is a 30-minute train ride away, offering a wealth of professional, cultural, and recreational opportunities.

Students come to Elmhurst from many states and countries, and from nearly every religious, racial, and ethnic background. The student body comprises nearly 3,000 undergraduates and about 300 graduate students.

School Says - Student Body
Students come to Elmhurst from many states and countries, and from nearly every religious, racial, and ethnic background. The student body comprises nearly 3,000 undergraduates and about 300 graduate students.

Life at Elmhurst is active and creative. Students get involved in more than 100 activities, from theatre to intramurals to the Mock Trial Team. The student newspaper wins awards; the radio station has been on the air since 1947. The campus regularly hosts performances, art exhibits, and an array of excellent guest speakers.

Elmhurst's 18 varsity sports teams compete in the CCIW, one of the top conferences in NCAA Division III athletics. We're big enough to offer a wide choice of sports, but small enough that you can really contribute to your team's success. In the past decade, Bluejay teams have won conference championships in five sports. And they compete in first-rate facilities.

School Says - Academics
Elmhurst is a private, four-year college in the liberal arts tradition. The curriculum combines liberal learning and professional preparation to prepare students for lives of meaningful work and personal fulfillment.

Academic programs at Elmhurst are characterized by their real-world connections and demonstrated responsiveness to student needs. Students conduct research and defend their results. They analyze data think critically, solve problems collaboratively, study and write across the disciplines, and learn to formulate new ideas and to convey them with maximum impact.

All classes at Elmhurst are taught by professors, not teaching assistants, and about 84 percent of the College's 127 full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their field. With a student-faculty ratio of only 13:1, faculty members get to know their students as individuals.

School Says - Admissions
Rolling admission begins on October 1 and continues until all spaces are filled.

Here's how to apply:
- First, complete the application for admission. It's available online at www.elmhurst.edu or by mail from the Elmhurst Admission Office.
- Next, submit your high school transcript, your ACT or SAT scores, and a recommendation from a teacher or counselor. (An essay and a campus interview are recommended but not required.)
- If you're applying as a transfer student, also submit an official transcript from all colleges or universities you've attended.

School Says - Campus Life
Elmhurst College is located 16 miles west of downtown Chicago in the quiet suburb of Elmhurst, a community of 43,000 that has been called "the quintessential Chicago suburb." Within walking distance from campus are two art museums, a library, an eight-screen movie house, lots of great restaurants, and more.

The College is just a short train ride from downtown Chicago, where students enjoy unlimited access to world-class cultural and professional opportunities--from internships to sporting events to concerts of all kinds. Elmhurst's campus looks like a college ought to look, with big trees, broad lawns, and 24 classy red-brick buildings. The campus is a 38-acre arboretum with 650 varieties of trees and plants.

School Says - Cost Aid
Full-time tuition for 2009-2010 is $27,270; room (double occupancy) is $4,496; standard meal plan is $3,012. For more details, see our Tuition & Fees pages at www.elmhurst.edu.Elmhurst provides financial aid to about 87 percent of full-time students. Financial aid programs include scholarships (based on academic merit), and grants, loans, and student employment (based on financial need). More than 600 students work on campus. The College makes admission decisions independently from any consideration of financial need.

Students Say - Academics
Elmhurst College is all about small classrooms and one-on-one interactions with professors, describes a psychology major at this United Church of Christ-affiliated bastion of the liberal arts in a "quaint" Chicago suburb. "I don't know how I would survive at a school where my professors didn't know my name and I could not speak to them on a personal basis," reflects a religious studies major. Professors are generally "enthusiastic" and "available for extra help." "Totally incompetent" faculty members are rare but they do exist. "I have had many good professors and a few of the worst teachers I have ever had in my entire school history," declares an education major. Elmhurst offers more than 50 majors and a host of pre-professional programs. Nursing, business, and education are reportedly strong. There's a "great music program, especially jazz." "I would recommend Elmhurst to any student considering a music degree," urges one happy songster. The Niebuhr Center offers a unique interdisciplinary opportunity for students interested in service, whether in ministry or via other paths. An abundance of study-abroad opportunities is also noteworthy. The big academic complaint is that "registration stinks," particularly for introductory courses. "It is very difficult to get into the classes you want," explains a chemistry major. "They fill up very fast."

Students Say - Campus Life
The whole of Elmhurst's "absolutely beautiful" campus is a registered arboretum filled with "fantastic scenery." To see any of it, though, you have to brave the "awful parking situation." It's a serious problem for the multitude of commuters here, although the administration is implementing new programs to improve the situation (including free bicycles for students who pledge to forego campus parking during the warm season). Social life is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the school sponsors "lots of events." For instance, there is an "outstanding jazz festival" every winter. Also, there are more than 100 clubs and organizations. Fraternities and sororities are reasonably visible. And many students play a varsity sport. On the other hand, Elmhurst "definitely caters to independent students who primarily occupy themselves with schoolwork or low-key social activities." "Elmhurst is not a party school." On the weekends, the campus is "dead." "It can almost be depressing to see so few people on Saturdays and Sundays," laments a lonesome first-year student. Of course, Chicago is just a train ride away, and many students "go downtown for fun on weekends."

Students Say - Student Body
Lots of Elmhurst students come from Chicago's assorted suburbs and chose Elmhurst because it is "close to home." The "predominantly female" population here is largely "Christian but pretty liberal," although students of all backgrounds are represented. Some students are "pampered," "snobby kids" with "no real grasp on how real people live." Others are nontraditional students with families and real jobs. The Elmhurst Life Skills Academy, a four-year program for students with learning disabilities, brings still another perspective. Some students boast that theirs is "a tight-knit community." "The campus just has a very warm and welcoming feeling to it where everyone is accepted," beams a sophomore. Other students contend that Elmhurst is "cliquey" and "compartmentalized." "All of the athletes stick together," says a junior. "All the Greeks stick together. All minorities stick together. All students living on campus stick together. Then there are the commuters who aren't a part of any of that who make up more than half of the school."

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