Discover why SLU is right for YOU through this introduction to our community, academics and values. You'll learn how SLU follows the Catholic, Jesuit tradition of education your whole person — mind, body and spirit — meaning you'll be challenged academically, supported holistically, encouraged to serve, and offered experiences that enrich your perspective.
Ready to see how you can change the world? Enjoy this personalized SLU preview; then, take your next step: Connect with an admission counselor or schedule a campus tour.
See why SLU is the perfect fit
What Does it Mean to Be Jesuit Educated at SLU?
SLU follows the Jesuit tradition of educating the whole person — mind, body and spirit — and preparing students to make the world a better place. You'll be encouraged to ask hard questions, look beyond easy answers, serve your community, and discover truth that is accessible by way of both faith and reason.
SLU at a glance
The Billiken Promise
We're honored
U.S. News & World Report ranks Saint Louis University among the nation’s top research universities, and many of our programs are in the top 50.
SLU is one of the oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities in the nation and is listed among Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education top-10 Catholic colleges. The Princeton Review, Fiske Guide to Colleges and Forbes magazine also name SLU a top college.
Kylie Barta, Class of 2023, says,
"It was a really easy decision once I visited SLU. Everyone cares about how you're doing; everyone cares about you as a person. And that was something I really wanted to be a part of."
SLU spirit
- Blue and white
- Billiken
- "When the Saints Go Marching In"
- Higher Purpose. Greater Good.
- Rubbing the Billiken statue for luck; Sunday evening student Mass; Homecoming and Family Weekend; Fall Welcome spirit games; finals week midnight breakfast.
What’s a Billiken?
Meet the Billiken, a mythical good-luck figure who represents "things as they ought to be." It was invented by a Missouri art teacher in 1908, and popular stories link it to SLU through the University's former football coach, John Bender, who may have bore a resemblance to the image.
Today, the Billiken is more than a mascot. Students have tied it to the University's mission, and being a Billiken is now a way of life. When you join SLU, you too will have the chance to represent what ought to be by embodying hope and becoming an agent of positive change.
Who Will You Be at Saint Louis University?
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SLU's Campus
Take a look at our beautiful campus in Midtown — a booming neighborhood in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri.