Our research, conversations, and aspirations are shaped by, and contribute to, the great city of Chicago. Students and faculty engage the city as a subject for inquiry through our Chicago Studies program, and Chicago's diverse population and thriving business and cultural sectors give us rich opportunities for research, hands-on learning, volunteering, and work experience. Based in Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side, we engage our community both as scholars and neighbors. Our ambitious partnerships and programs extend to urban health care, the arts, business diversity, and public safety. We are not just in Chicago, we are of Chicago, setting a new standard for urban universities.

This is UChicago
UChicago Breakthrough

UChicago Breakthrough
Together with its Medical Center, the University is the second-largest private employer in Chicago and the largest on Chicago's South Side.
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STEP (Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress)

Students at LEARN South Chicago are among those who benefit from the STEP (Strategic Teaching and Evaluation of Progress) literacy assessment developed by the Urban Education Institute.
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Becoming a Man

The University of Chicago Crime Lab partnered with nonprofit community groups to launch Becoming a Man, a program aimed at reducing gun violence among Chicago's male youth.
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Urban Teacher Education Program

More than 90 percent of graduates from the University's Urban Teacher Education Program continue making a difference in the classrooms of Chicago Public Schools and other urban school districts after five years in the profession, a much higher rate than most new teachers in low-income urban schools.
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Urban Health Initiative

In January 2011, the Urban Health Initiative of the University of Chicago Medical Center provided a $50,000 grant to the inaugural CommunityHealth Englewood Clinic to support area residents in need of health care services. UHI is a partnership that aims to improve South Side health through research, education, and clinical care.
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UChicago Campus

UChicago has partnered with the city of Chicago to foster growth in the South Side through new construction, improved transportation, and employment opportunities.
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  • By the
    Numbers

  • 4 Charter School campuses through UEI

    4 Charter School campuses through UEI

    Urban Education Institute

    The University's Urban Education Institute works to create reliably excellent schooling for urban American youth and operates the University of Chicago Charter School's four campuses. In 2010, the Charter School graduated its first senior class, 98 percent of which went on to attend college.

  • 240+ Collegiate Scholars Program alumni

    240+ Collegiate Scholars Program alumni

    Collegiate Scholars Program

    CSP prepares talented Chicago Public Schools students to attend top colleges and universities.

  • 50+ Neighborhood Schools Program sites

    50+ Neighborhood Schools Program sites

    Neighborhood Schools Program

    NSP places UChicago students as classroom assistants to urban teachers and as interns to elected officials and community programs.

  • 2 centers for entrepreneurship

    2 centers for entrepreneurship

    The Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship provide services and support to local entrepreneurs.

  • 100+ state-certified University police officers

    100+ state-certified University police officers

    The University of Chicago Police Department officers patrol and offer safety education and other services in the neighborhood.

  • 3,000+ volunteers through UCSC

    3,000+ volunteers through UCSC

    The University Community Service Center places more than 3,000 University volunteers in Chicago through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect.

  • 7 Mandel Legal Aid Clinic programs

    7 Mandel Legal Aid Clinic programs

    The Law School's Mandel Legal Aid Clinic teaches students advocacy skills while serving people typically denied access to justice. Current projects include the employment discrimination project, the federal criminal justice project, and the civil rights and police accountability project. Last year, several Law School students helped bring a case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • 2 free museums open to the public

    2 free museums open to the public

    Smart Museum

    Museums, theaters, and other arts venues on campus offer programs to make arts and culture meaningful and accessible to local children and adults, including the Smart Museum of Art and the Oriental Institute Museum.

  • 100+ civic partnerships

    100+ civic partnerships

    UChicago partners with more than 100 cultural and civic organizations in the city of Chicago.

  • 5 factors found to transform student achievement

    5 factors found to transform student achievement

    Consortium on Chicago School Research

    UChicago's Consortium on Chicago School Research defined five key factors which, when working together, have proven to boost student achievement, including in especially troubled schools.

  • 300+ jobs through Career Pathways

    300+ jobs through Career Pathways

    Through the Career Pathways Initiative, the University has helped place more than 300 community residents into rewarding employment opportunities. Career Pathways offers professional training and other resources for participants to achieve lasting success.