430 S. Michigan Ave,
Chicago, IL 60605

Roosevelt University is an independent, urban-based college with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill. When the college was founded in 1945, it had very little - including no campus, endowment or even a library. But the college had one thing going for it - a passion by the founders with an ideal. Their dream was to establish a college that could be accessible to all.

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt these same ideals and Thomas Jefferson College was renamed for the President and his wife. Because the school is independent, it has always been able to forge its own pioneering educational and governance models. Students, faculty and alumni are all a part of the Board of Trustees.

Roosevelt University is located in the urban center of Chicago, as well as the suburban core of Schaumburg and is an attractive educational option for students wanting to complete an undergraduate degree and who work full-time jobs, or professionals wanting to earn a graduate degree. Approximately one third of Roosevelt's more than 7,000 students are earning a graduate degree.

Roosevelt University offers more than 125-degree programs in the arts, sciences, business, performing arts, professional studies and education. Some of the degree offerings include general studies, biology, English, art history, philosophy, legal studies, literature, psychology, anthropology and women's and gender studies.

The Institute for Metropolitan Affairs, the St. Clair Drake Center for African and African-American Studies, the Center for New Deal Studies, and the Mansfield Institute for Social Justice promote research, discourse, and social action in the areas of social responsibility and social justice and are a part of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Center for Democratic Values.

Students may live in one of two residence halls on campus. University Center and Roosevelt on Washington, also known as ROW, both provide housing in Chicago's downtown area, close to cultural events and entertainment.


Quick Facts:

Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Marian Anderson, Pearl Buck and Thomas Mann all were members of one of the first Roosevelt University advisory boards.

The library at Roosevelt University is named for William Green and Philip Murray, two men who began their working careers as coal miners. The men were eventually rival Union bosses - Green for the AFL and Murray for the CIO - before the unions merged. Both men served on the initial Roosevelt University board of advisers.

Roosevelt University's Chicago campus is located in the Auditorium Building. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated Chicago Landmark, the building was constructed in 1891. The adjacent theatre is the scene of many plays and cultural events in Chicago.

This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.