Lewis University is a comprehensive Catholic university located 35 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Founded in 1932, it is a dynamic and mixed university offering more than 80 specializations and undergraduate study programs, 37 graduate programs and two doctoral programs. It is one of 60 universities in the world, sponsored by De La Salle Christian Brothers, an international order of Roman Catholic teaching. The Princeton Review named Lewis one of the best universities in the Midwest, and Lewis ranked among a select list of 23 universities in Illinois and 158 institutions in the Midwest.
Lewis University comprises colleges of arts and sciences, business, education and nursing, and health professions, and maintains a continuing education program. It is also an NCAA Division II school that is part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. In July 1975, Lewis University took an important step in its development with the accreditation of the North Center Association's graduate programs (master's and first professional degree). This was followed by the appointment of Brother James Gaffney's successor as tenth president of the university - Dr. Livingston, PhD. Inspired by its Catholic and Lasallian heritage, Lewis University offers a values-focused curriculum, rich in the Mission's values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom and justice.
The intention of this plan is to provide future-focused and reality-based parameters that respect the history and values of Lewis University, while providing guidance for future decision-making in both the short and long term. Lewis University is a proud and successful member of NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Valley Conference. It has also been recognized as one of the best universities in the Midwest by The Princeton Review. With its traditions of liberal learning and career preparation giving it its educational identity and mission focus, Lewis University is a comprehensive Catholic university that offers students a values-focused curriculum.
