Founded in 1839 in Columbia, the University of Missouri is a public research university that belongs to the people of Missouri. The first public university west of the Mississippi River, Mizzou is a member of the competitive SEC conference, a committed flagship and land-grant institution — and a proud member of the prestigious AAU which features the top research universities in the country. With an enrollment of over 30,000 students, Mizzou is a $2.2 billion global enterprise, with areas of strength including media, agriculture/food production, human and animal health, sustainable energy and more.

Anchored in our values of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery, and Excellence, Mizzou is primarily a human institution in which each member cares deeply about the education, knowledge and welfare of people — especially our students. We believe in the power of education, science, knowledge, and ideas to change the world and move society forward. We believe in asking questions, challenging the status quo, and engaging in respectful, rigorous debate — all of which leads to new discoveries, beautiful art, health advances, and so much more. We believe in service to our students, our community, to the city of Columbia, to the state of Missouri, to the country, to the broader global society, and to our areas of study. We are a microcosm of the United States. We have people here of all backgrounds – from rural farms to suburban areas to big cities to countries across the globe. Building on the Show-Me State Missourian mentality, we are people with grit, perseverance, stick-to-it-iveness, and a commitment to roll up our sleeves and get it done.

Our faculty, staff and students believe in hands-on experience — in the fields, in the hospital and clinics, in the lab, in the courtroom, in the studio, on the stage, in the office. Before the words “experiential learning” were ever uttered in higher education, we had “the Missouri Method.” Its sentiment was integrated into every school and college on our campus. We believe in providing students on-the-job professional and life experience opportunities that will solidify their career choices and advance their professional journeys.

MU has a longstanding culture of collaboration that encourages faculty to partner with researchers from other fields, resulting in some of the most revered outcomes in higher education. We are one of only six public universities nationwide that can claim schools or colleges of medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, engineering, arts and science, law and a powerful research reactor — all on the same campus. Having the vast majority of our people and facilities in close proximity to one another has led to an interdisciplinary environment that solves real world problems better than if we worked alone. Scientists collaborate with corporate partners, government agencies, universities, and other entities — locally, nationally, and globally. These partnerships, coupled with MU’s expertise, create a formula for outstanding success.

As a model land-grant institution, Mizzou is committed to making research accessible and applicable to better the lives of the people of Missouri and beyond. A research university where empathy, innovation and hard work combine to solve the world’s grand challenges — we are Mizzou — where Truman the Tiger embodies Missouri’s bold spirit and Black and Gold runs deep. Visit missouri.edu to learn more.