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Concordia University Chicago
Established	1864
Type:	Private
President:	John F. Johnson
Students:	2,183
Undergraduates:	1,032
Postgraduates:	1,751
Location	River Forest, Illinois, United States
Campus:	Suburban, 40 acres (162,000 m²)
Colors:	Maroon and Gold
Mascot:	Cougars
Affiliations:	Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Website:	http://www.cuchicago.edu/

Concordia University Chicago is a private, Lutheran liberal arts university located in the suburb of River Forest, Illinois, just west of Chicago.

On its 40 acre (162,000 m²) campus, Concordia serves 1,121 undergraduates and 3,005 graduate students. Concordia is a member of the Concordia University System, a network of ten American colleges and universities affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. It was the only university in the ten school system to achieve the top tier rank on U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges 2006 list.

In 1855, Lutheran ministers Friedrich Johann Carl Lochner and Philipp Fleischmann established a private "teachers' seminary" in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to train day school teachers for Lutheran schools. In 1857, responsibility for the operation of the school was taken over by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The Synod moved the school to Fort Wayne, Indiana, uniting it with a theological seminary that had been founded there by followers of Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe. In 1861, the theological seminary was moved to St. Louis (and later to Springfield, Illinois and then back to Fort Wayne), and in 1864, the teachers' seminary was moved to Addison, Illinois.

Concordia University marks its foundation with the 1864 move to Addison, Illinois. Originally known as Concordia Teachers College, it is the oldest institution in the Concordia University System. In 1913 the college moved to its present campus in River Forest. In 1979, the institution expanded its education-based program to become a full liberal arts institution and changed its name to Concordia College. In 1990, having experienced tremendous growth in its graduate offerings, the school reorganized and changed its name to Concordia University. The university was unofficially known as "Concordia University, River Forest" (CURF) until 2006, when the current name was adopted.

Education is still Concordia's largest academic program. Others include Business, Communications, Music, Theology, and many other undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Many students plan on becoming professional church workers. Roughly half of Concordia's student population is affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

Concordia's athletic teams are called the Cougars. They compete in the NCAA Division III. The school colors are maroon and gold.

"As a distinctive, comprehensive university of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ and based in the liberal arts, Concordia University equips men and women to serve and lead with integrity, creativity and compassion in a diverse, interconnected and increasingly urbanized church and world."

"Hail to thee our Alma Mater; Hail to thee maroon and gold! Here we stand thy sons and daughters, thinking back to days of old. Days of joy and happy meetings, days of friendship and of love. As we stand before thy pillars, hail Concordia hail!"

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• Campus map
• Aerial photograph from Google maps