At Rockhurst University, we help you become who you want to be, not just what. We’re proud to be Kansas City’s Jesuit university for more than 100 years. We’re in the city for good in every sense of the phrase. Whether this is your first time researching all that Rockhurst has to offer, or you’ve been a loyal Hawk for decades, we welcome you with open arms. Here are just a few things we want you to know about RU.

Our Catholic, Jesuit Heritage

We’re proud of the company we keep  as one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the U.S. alongside universities such as Georgetown, Xavier and Gonzaga. About 50 percent of students are Catholic, so we offer activities for all denominations. A Jesuit education is prestigious and, in short, it prepares our graduates to lead, shape and change the world around them. We want you to love you future career, but, more importantly, to love your life.

The Liberal Arts Tradition

Our curriculum is based on the seven liberal arts classical modes of inquiry: artistic, historical, literary, philosophical, theological, scientific relational and scientific causal. Ok but what does that really mean? It means we’ll stimulate all parts of your brain. You’ll view the world differently.

Recognized as Superior

Rockhurst rocks. Prove it, you say? RU has been consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the Midwest by U.S. News and World Report. Recent surveys show our students rank their educational satisfaction among the highest in the nation. We even earned the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2010 – a recognition given to institutions that engage students, staff and faculty with the community through curriculum, by providing university resources for community use and through partnerships that benefit the university as well as community organizations. It’s a big deal.

Accreditation

Rockhurst University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association: 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604, 800-621-7440. RU and the Helzberg School of Management are also accredited by AACSB International – the gold standard in business accreditation given to only the top five percent of the top business schools in the nation: 777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602, 813-769-6500.

Points of Pride

• RU ranks fourth among Missouri colleges and universities for return on investment, and in the top 17 percent nationwide.
• The Helzberg Executive MBA program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, boasts an alumni list that includes more than 750 top leaders in major organizations throughout the Kansas City area and the nation.
• Our 30-hour Helzberg MBA program offers evening courses to accommodate work schedules, allowing students to complete the program in an average of two years. The accelerated option can be completed in just one year.
• Three master’s programs and a doctoral program prepare professionals for work in occupational therapy, physical therapy, education and speech pathology.

Governance

Rockhurst is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a board of elected trustees. The majority of our board members are Jesuit-educated CEOs or top leaders in their organizations. A maximum of 30 members and two recent graduate trustees can serve on the board.

Alumni

While more than half of Rockhurst’s 25,000 alumni live in the Kansas City metropolitan area, every state and many foreign countries are influenced by the RU alumni who live there. Our graduates serve as executive leaders for major companies and organizations in Kansas City and beyond, becoming part of a network of more than 1.6 million Jesuit alumni in the United States.

Our Campus

Rockhurst’s quiet, 55-acre campus is nestled just blocks from KC’s famed Country Club Plaza and minutes from downtown. Our campus quad is accented with large oak trees, surrounded by rustic stone buildings. In Fall 2015, we opened a brand new academic building – Arrupe Hall. Other recent campus improvements include a parking garage, art gallery, enhancements to athletic facilities and more.

Athletics

The Rockhurst University Hawks are part of the NCAA Division II. Rockhurst has men’s teams in baseball, basketball, golf, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis; and women’s teams in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Academic Quality

Our average class size is 25 with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. You won’t find any thousand-seat lecture halls here. Rockhurst offers 50+ undergraduate and graduate degrees.