Concordia University-Chicago

Academic life at Concordia-Chicago is built around "academic excellence with a faith-forward approach" and a supportive environment with instruction from dedicated professors. The university offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and online degree programs. The most popular majors reflect a practical, service-oriented focus:

• Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
• Education
• Business, Management, Marketing, and related fields

Other notable undergraduate programs include Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Accounting, Biology, and Computer Science. The curriculum emphasizes small class sizes and one-on-one attention, fostering a teaching-centered rather than research-intensive culture. Students can also pursue specialized paths like a Pre-Art Therapy track within the Bachelor of Arts.

Life at Concordia-Chicago splits its identity between a serene, self-contained suburban campus and the dynamic pulse of nearby Chicago. The campus itself is a 40-acre, tree-lined property set in the gorgeous residential neighborhood of River Forest. On-campus housing is available but not the norm; only 35% of students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, while 65% live off campus. The "Chicago-adjacent location" is a major selling point, with the university encouraging students to take advantage of the educational, professional, and cultural opportunities downtown. Campus life is active with student activities, athletics, and events that build school spirit, and students have access to bars, restaurants, and Greek life in the surrounding area.

Student outcomes at Concordia University-Chicago present a mixed picture, with graduation rates being a particular area of concern. According to the university's own consumer information, the four-year graduation rate for students who began in Fall 2021 is 30%, and the six-year graduation rate is 56%. Other sources cite varying figures, including a 47% overall graduation rate and a 57% six-year rate. Post-graduation earnings data also varies. One source reports median earnings 10 years after entry as $54,089. Another indicates alumni earn an average annual income of $74,135, with earnings one year after graduation at $58,149 and five years after at $59,330. The first-year retention rate—a key indicator of student satisfaction and persistence—is reported at 61%.

Concordia-Chicago is moderately priced for a private university, with a significant majority of students receiving financial aid to reduce the sticker price. The average net price after aid and scholarships is $18,436. A very high percentage—97%—of full-time beginning undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid. The university offers a comprehensive financial aid program that includes institutional scholarships, as well as state and federal grants and loans. All students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually to determine eligibility for need-based aid. The university provides a net price calculator on its website to help prospective domestic students estimate their actual cost.

Concordia University-Chicago carves out a distinct niche by combining a small, faith-based, supportive campus community with direct access to one of America's great cities. It's not a highly selective research university, but rather a teaching-focused institution where the classroom experience is personal and the most popular majors—kinesiology, education, business—are unapologetically geared toward direct career paths and service. The 40-acre campus in River Forest offers a quiet, traditional collegiate setting, but the El train provides a direct line to the internships, culture, and energy of downtown Chicago. This duality is its greatest asset: a tight-knit, accessible academic home base just minutes from limitless urban opportunity. However, this profile comes with the sobering reality of struggling graduation and retention rates, suggesting that while the door to admission is open wide, the path to a degree requires significant student support and persistence.