Elmhurst College

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From the College

Elmhurst is a four-year comprehensive college in the liberal arts tradition. Founded in 1871, the College has a long history of preparing students for lifetimes of professional and personal achievement. Elmhurst is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

The College offers more than fifty majors, four accelerated majors for adults, fifteen preprofessional programs, and nine graduate programs. The honors program provides extra opportunities for students who are especially talented, curious, and motivated.

Elmhurst ranks in the top tier of Midwest colleges and universities with master’s programs, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” issue. The Princeton Review also lists Elmhurst among the region’s premier institutions of higher learning. Students come to Elmhurst from many states and countries and from nearly every religious, racial, and ethnic background.

The student body comprises about 2,700 traditional undergraduate students, 350 adults pursuing an undergraduate degree, and nearly 300 graduate students. Students participate in more than 100 activities, including theater, intramurals, and student government. More than half play intramurals or participate in one of eighteen NCAA Division III varsity teams. Six residence halls and a variety of apartment-style housing options are available for students who want to live on campus.

Elmhurst, Illinois, a quiet suburb of Chicago, is filled with family-owned stores and restaurants, as well as theater, music, art museums, and other recreational activities. In Chicago magazine’s 2003 study of the “best places to live” among 192 Chicago suburbs, the city of Elmhurst ranked number 1.

The beautiful 38-acre campus looks like a college should look: big trees, broad lawns, and twenty-four stately redbrick buildings. With more than 600 varieties of trees and shrubs, the Elmhurst campus is an arboretum; with modern facilities, top-notch faculty members, and a great geographical location, it’s an excellent place to get an education.

Just 16 miles away (30 minutes by train), Chicago has something for everyone. Sports fans can enjoy watching the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, or White Sox in action, or play sports in Millennium Park or along the waterfront. Students who are interested in art or culture can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the 57-acre Museum Campus, featuring the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. Chicago also features lots of shopping, dining, and nightlife.

The College offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting, American studies, art, art business, art education, biology, business administration, chemistry, communication studies, computer game and entertainment technology, computer science, criminal justice, early childhood education, economics, elementary education, English, exercise science, finance, French, geography, German, history, information systems, interdisciplinary communication studies, international business, jazz studies, logistics and supply chain management, management, marketing, mathematics, multi-language, music, music business, music education, musical theater, nursing, organizational communication, philosophy, physical education, physics, political science, psychology, religion and service, religious studies, secondary education, sociology, Spanish, special education, speech-language pathology, theater, theater arts education, theological studies and Christian ministry, and urban studies. Students also may design their own interdepartmental major.

Preprofessional programs are available in actuarial science, allied health sciences, dentistry, engineering, law, library science, medicine, seminary studies, and veterinary medicine.

Elmhurst College confers five undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Liberal Studies. While requirements for each degree vary, all require a minimum of 128 semester hours of credit. The academic program consists of three interrelated parts: courses that meet the general education requirements, courses that fulfill requirements of the major, and elective courses that students select to satisfy intellectual curiosity or to enhance the breadth of their academic programs.

The General Education Program includes course work drawn from eleven categories of knowledge: fine arts; global society; human behavior; inquiry and issues in science and technology; Judeo-Christian heritage and religious faith; literature; the natural world; people, power, and politics; the search for humane values; Western culture; and writing and reasoning. An undergraduate student graduating from Elmhurst College completes at least one course, taken for a letter grade, in each of the eleven categories.

Beyond the general education requirements, major-course requirements, and courses taken to fulfill elective requirements, students earning the Bachelor of Science must complete an additional 8 semester hours in mathematics; students earning the Bachelor of Music must complete at least 64 semester hours in music (specific courses are determined by the Department of Music); and students earning the Bachelor of Liberal Studies must complete 32 to 48 semester hours in two areas of concentration (rather than a traditional major). Students are expected to declare their major field of study prior to completion of the sophomore year. Students may also select a maximum of two minors.

Elmhurst encourages first-, second-, and third-year students to pursue international education programs by going global for a month, a term, or a year. Through a wide range of opportunities to study and work abroad, students refine their language skills, challenge their cultural assumptions, grow as individuals, better understand themselves and their countries, and gain a greater respect for other cultures.

During the January and summer terms, Elmhurst faculty members teach in such places as Costa Rica, England, Germany, Jamaica, and Morocco through the Elmhurst College Abroad program.

In addition to sponsoring its own courses abroad, the College offers programs through a consortium of colleges and through two partnership programs. For example, students can combine classes with internships in Australia, Belgium, France (Paris), Germany, and Spain; students can earn academic credit for participating in service-learning and academic courses in the Czech Republic, Ecuador, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Scotland; and other programs take students to Austria, China, England, Italy, Ireland, and New Zealand. Elmhurst College also runs official exchange programs with institutions in Ecuador and Morocco.

The A. C. Buehler Library provides a wide variety of services for Elmhurst students. Books, periodicals, and audiovisual materials are available, along with interlibrary loan services, databases, electronic journals, and other electronic resources.

The Elmhurst College Learning Center helps students succeed as independent learners. Students can receive one-on-one tutoring in math, reading, writing, and study-skills areas or attend test preparation workshops.

Daniels Hall has computer rooms for student use and features PCs, Macs, scanners, and laser printers. The Center for Professional Excellence offers opportunities for self-assessment, career guidance, graduate school preparation, internships, mentoring, and shadowing.

Full-time tuition for 2008–09 was $26,000. Part-time tuition was $2960 per full course ($740 per credit hour). Other costs included a matriculation fee of $125 ($50 for transfer students), an academic technology fee of $30 per term, and a residential network fee of $50 per term. Students living on campus can expect to pay $4496 for a double-occupancy room and $3012 for a standard meal plan.

Financial aid is awarded to approximately 87 percent of entering students. Entering freshmen are eligible for renewable scholarships based on grade point average and composite ACT scores or combined SAT scores. Students should apply for admission by January 15 for scholarship consideration. Other Elmhurst scholarships are awarded based on grade point average, program of study, financial need, and other criteria. Awards range from $1000 to $19,000 per academic year. Elmhurst need-based grants are available for eligible full-time students.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission administers grants of $350 to $4968 per year to dependents of Illinois residents. The Department of Education awards Federal Pell Grants of $400 to $4310 per year. Pell recipients may also be eligible for Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants of $100 to $4000 a year.

Student loans include the Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal PLUS Program. Alternative loans may be available from private lenders.

Elmhurst provides superior teaching on a personal scale. All classes are taught by professors, not teaching assistants. About 84 percent of the College’s 133 full-time faculty members hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree in their field. The student-faculty ratio of 13:1 is among the best in higher education. The average class has 19 students.

The Student Government Association (SGA) consists of 18 students elected by the student body, 3 members of the faculty elected by the faculty, and 3 administrators selected by the student members. The SGA serves as the major policy-recommending body to the President and Trustees on issues of student and campus life. The Elmhurst College Union Board and its committees serve as the primary student programming organization on campus.

Elmhurst seeks students who show evidence of their ability to complete college-level work based on high school performance. Preference is given to students who have completed 16 academic units, including 3 units of English; 2 units each of mathematics, laboratory science, and social studies; and 7 units in additional college-preparatory subjects.

In order to apply, prospective students are required to submit an application for admission. Applications may be completed online, or paper copies can be downloaded or requested from the Office of Admission and Financial Aid. Students must also submit official high school transcripts or GED results, official SAT or ACT scores, and a teacher recommendation. Elmhurst College’s ACT code is 1020. An interview and essay are recommended but not required. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Application review begins October 1.

Prospective students can arrange an individual visit, which might include an overnight stay and meetings with faculty members, or come for a Preview Day.

Further information about the College, the application process, and campus visits can be obtained from: