University of Chicago

University of Chicago is a private institution that was founded in 1890. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,659, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 215 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. University of Chicago's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 4. Its tuition and fees are $48,253 (2014-15).
The University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. The Chicago Maroons have more than 15 NCAA Division III teams, which compete in the University Athletic Association, and have strong basketball and wrestling programs. At Chicago, freshmen are required to live on campus, and more than 50 percent of students choose to remain on campus, while others live in off-campus apartments and houses. On-campus students are placed in "houses" within their dorm, which serve as tight-knit communities and provide academic and social support. Chicago offers more than 400 student organizations.
The University of Chicago is comprised of the College and a number of graduate and professional schools. Its postgraduate offerings include the highly ranked Booth School of Business, Law SchoolPritzker School of Medicine, Harris School of Public Policy Studies and Department of Geophysical Sciences, as well as a top-ranked graduate program in economics and a well-regarded Divinity School. Since 1987, the school has hosted the four-day long "University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt," now a venerable university tradition. Famous alumni include former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics recipient Milton Friedman, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): 
The University of Chicago is universally recognized for its devotion to open and rigorous inquiry. The strength of our intellectual traditions, intense critical analysis, and free and lively debate draws from our engaged scholars who continually seek creative solutions to complex problems. Our College graduates have made discoveries in every field of academic study; they are ambitious thinkers who are unafraid to take on the most pressing questions of our time. Their accomplishments have established the University's legacy as one of the world's finest academic institutions. The University of Chicago is affiliated with 89 Nobel Prize winners, over 260 Guggenheim Fellows, 32 MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellows, and 24 Pulitzer Prize winners. UChicago is also renowned for the unparalleled resources it provides its undergraduate students. Our 215-acre campus contains six libraries with over 11 million print volumes; over 150 research centers and institutes, including the new Institute for Molecular Engineering and the Institute of Politics; world-class theaters, museums, and art centers; and three of the nation's top professional schools in law, business, and medicine. Rooted in Hyde Park, a neighborhood home to both our campus (certified as a botanical garden) and over 60 percent of the private homes of our faculty, UChicago offers a true campus-based community within the context of a major American city. Our students engage the city of Chicago and its many neighborhoods through groundbreaking research and scholarship, unparalleled internship opportunities, and a commitment to community service. Just as Chicago is a global city, the University of Chicago remains a truly international university: we offer over 45 faculty-led study abroad programs in over 20 countries, including those in conjunction with our centers in Beijing, Delhi, and Paris. UChicago maintains a student-faculty ratio of 6:1, ensuring that every classroom experience exemplifies our commitment to close interactions between students and faculty in small, discussion-style seminars. Our famous Core curriculum - courses in eight subject areas that all students, regardless of their major, are required to take - provides students with a common vocabulary and a well-balanced academic experience, while allowing them the flexibility to explore their own particular interests within those eight subject areas. The Office of Career Advancement helps students translate what they are studying in our classrooms to their future careers. Career Advancement counsels students though individual meetings and larger pre-professional programs, the UChicago Careers In programs. There are eight different UChicago Careers In programs that cover sectors ranging from business and law to health professions and journalism, arts, and media. Additionally, Career Advancement connects students with over 1000 Metcalf internship opportunities - paid internships across a range of industries that are only available to UChicago students. Students also enjoy a highly successful Division III sports program; a small but active Greek life community; over thirty-five student theatrical productions a year; a rich music scene; and extraordinary opportunities in politics, music, theater, commerce, and neighborhood life in the city of Chicago.
Official website: http://www.uchicago.edu