Concordia University-Chicago

Concordia University-Chicago is a private Lutheran university located in River Forest, Illinois. Founded in 1864, it is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and is part of the Concordia University System. The institution began as a teachers seminary and has expanded into a comprehensive university offering undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. Concordia University-Chicago includes colleges focused on business, education, health and science, and theology, arts, and humanities. The university serves a diverse student population and maintains a suburban campus near downtown Chicago, attracting students interested in faith-based education alongside professional and liberal arts programs.

Concordia University-Chicago was founded in 1864 in Addison, Illinois, as Addison Teachers Seminary to prepare educators for Lutheran parochial schools. Established by German immigrants affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the institution opened its doors on September 1, 1864, during the Civil War. Enrollment grew steadily in the late nineteenth century, prompting campus expansions. In 1913, the seminary relocated to River Forest, Illinois, and became Concordia Teachers College. As academic offerings broadened beyond teacher preparation, the institution was renamed Concordia College in 1979. Reflecting expanded graduate programs and a wider liberal arts curriculum, it adopted the name Concordia University in 1990 and later became known as Concordia University-Chicago in 2006. Today, Concordia University-Chicago continues its historic mission while offering diverse undergraduate and graduate degrees from its River Forest campus.