Chicago Is...
America's Urban Campus
America's Urban Campus
Students wanting to experience Chicago as an urban laboratory.
About Us
At America’s Urban Campus, our mission is to enhance the image of Chicago as a global destination for higher education and to improve the lives of its citizens by drawing on the collective strengths of its member institutions. Chicago’s not-for-profit colleges and universities, representing 200,000 students, first came together in 2011 and formally established America’s Urban Campus (AUC) in 2016 to collaborate on a range of initiatives and investigate the economic, educational and cultural impact of Chicago’s higher education institutions. Chicago benefits from having one of the highest concentrations of universities and students in the U.S., providing a continuously renewed stream of talent for the region’s economy.
Who We Are
A group of 20 of Chicago’s not-for-profit higher education institutions, representing 200,000 students, has formed America’s Urban Campus (AUC) to collaborate on branding the city for higher education, building the talent pipeline, and supporting our communities. Click here for a map of college locations.
Leadership
America’s Urban Campus is led by the presidents and provosts of its members, who meet periodically to set broad policy and discuss issues with Chicago’s leadership. The Board of Directors consists of a representative from each institution, sets policy, reviews programs, and oversees the work of the Executive Director and the committees. Career Services Directors meet together to help build Chicago’s talent pipeline. AUC leadership is pictured here in their 2022 Annual Meeting with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, hosted by Illinois Institute of Technology President, Raj Echambadi. Photo courtesy of Bonnie Robinson.
What We Do...Impact
What We Do...Reports
$3.3 Billion in new Facilities construction 2014-2019
Reports on our economic, social and cultural contributions to the city.
Snapshot of all the university programs supporting our neighborhoods.
NEWS from our Member Institutions
Our AUC institutions are working hard to elevate Chicago as a global higher education destination, promote innovation and support students. See what they’ve been up to by checking out the headlines below!
JUN 7: $25 MILLION GRANT TO NORTHWESTERN TO ADVANCE GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
A new $25 million grant from the Howard and Paula Treinens Fund is the largest philanthropic contribution ever made to the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern. The grant will provi...
MAY 21: UCHICAGO JOINS GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE QUANTUM COMPUTING
Following the G7 Summit in Japan, the University of Chicago joins global partnerships to advance quantum computing, utilizing a $150 million grant from IBM and Google to work with the University of To...
MAY 8: $4.9MIL GRANT TO ADD HUNDREDS OF DEPAUL GRADUATES TO LEAD CPS CLASSROOMS
A $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will prepare 800+ DePaul University graduates to serve as teachers in high-need Chicago Public Schools!
