Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) is a private research university located in St. Louis, Missouri. The university is made up of seven different schools and colleges, each with their own areas of focus and expertise. WUSTL is one of the largest employers in the city of St. Louis, with over 14,000 employees across all its campuses.
The university was founded in 1853 by Wayman Crow and George Washington Carver. It was originally named Eliot Seminary, after its first president, William Greenleaf Eliot. The school began offering collegiate-level classes in 1857, making it one of the earliest institutions west of the Mississippi River to offer such an education. In 1865, the name was changed to Washington Institute in honor of George Washington. In 1877, the name was again changed to Washington University; this time in honor of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who had been instrumental in obtaining federal funding for the university’s founding. The university’s main campus is located just west of Forest Park on the western edge of St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood; additional campuses are located throughout Greater St. Louis including at Clayton (home to the School of Law), Ladue (home to John Mather Hospital), Frontenac (home to Barnes-Jewish Hospital), and West County ( home to Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology).
As a leading research institution, WUSTL is affiliated with several top-ranked hospitals and medical centers including Barnes-Jewish Hospital – which consistently ranks as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” according to U