Washington University in St. Louis, founded in 1853, is an independent, international institution with more than 13,000 students, about half of whom are in graduate or professional degree programs. Students come from all 50 states and 120 other countries. A world leader in teaching and research, the University has eight academic divisions: Arts & Sciences, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, John M. Olin School of Business, School of Architecture, School of Art, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law, and School of Medicine. As the University's reputation has grown, interest among prospective students has climbed dramatically—nearly 20,000 applications for 1,300 openings in a typical entering class.

Washington University has 2,900 instructional faculty and 12,000 employees. The University's total operating budget is $1.4 billion, and its $4.1 billion endowment places it among the top ten private universities in the United States. Washington University is a leading recipient of federal, industrial, and foundation research support for its programs in medicine, science, engineering, and social science, with more than $480 million provided annually from external sponsors.

Recent University accomplishments include completion of a campaign that raised more than $1.5 billion in new resources, including student scholarships, 165 new endowed professorships for faculty, and 26 new buildings, with another 7 either under construction or planned in the next few years. Altogether, recent construction and renovations—completed, underway, and soon-to-be started—total more than a billion dollars.

Set amid a thriving metropolitan region of 2.6 million residents, the University benefits from the vast array of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities offered by the St. Louis area. Bordered on the east by St. Louis' famed Forest Park and on the north, west, and south by well-established suburbs, the 169-acre Hilltop Campus features predominantly Collegiate Gothic architecture, including a number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.