Overview
The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a premier public university that provides students with a high-quality liberal arts education, exceptional public affairs opportunities, and outstanding professional preparation programs. UIS is one of three universities of the world-class University of Illinois system and has been ranked by US News & World Report as one of the top 10 regional public universities in the Midwest.
UIS celebrates its diversity with a campus comprised of students and faculty of various ages, backgrounds, and ethnicity. Faculty members are accomplished teacher-scholars, and UIS has a national reputation for innovation in teaching and excellence in online education. Located in the state capital, UIS has established a reputation for Leadership lived, based upon four core strengths: the educational richness of its teaching-focused academic experience; the abundant opportunities it provides for students to collaborate with faculty and gain practical experience through institutional partners; the right-sized supportive community it offers; and its tradition of educating public servants and leaders in private and public sectors. UIS is a community-engaged campus whose students contribute over 66,000 hours of community service each year.
The surrounding Springfield community offers a wonderful quality of life. A lively entertainment scene includes jazz, blues, community theatre, municipal opera, comedy, and live music, including downtown music festivals. Additional cultural and sporting attractions are conveniently located a few hours away in St. Louis, Chicago, and Indianapolis. With a population of about 117,000, Springfield offers great restaurants, shopping, and other city amenities while retaining the friendliness and affordability of small-town living (and without the heavy traffic). The area also has a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including biking and hiking trails, ice rinks, sports complexes, and several first-class golf courses. Lake Springfield offers fishing, boating, and other recreational water activities. Springfield is also home to a wildlife sanctuary, zoo, lakeside memorial gardens, botanical gardens, and one of the world’s largest carillons.
Springfield was home to Abraham Lincoln, our nation’s sixteenth president and one of its most famous political figures. A historical downtown area features the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, the Old State Capitol, the Lincoln historical district, historic reenactments and events, the Illinois State Museum, and a variety of specialty shops and restaurants which make Springfield the most prominent tourist destination in central Illinois.
Springfield is also home to the second Illinois Medical District (the first being in Chicago) and includes two major medical centers, Memorial Health Systems and HSHS St. John’s Health Systems, as well as the Southern Illinois University School of medicine. The medical community and state government are the two largest employers in Springfield.
Springfield offers daily Amtrak service to St. Louis and Chicago as well as to points beyond. A regional airport offers daily service to major hubs in Chicago and Dallas. City bus service is provided from the UIS campus to various locations around the city.
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