About MU

Mizzou, Missouri’s flagship university

Founded in 1839 as the first public university west of the Mississippi River, the University of Missouri (Mizzou) is a committed flagship and land-grant institution, a member of the competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC) — and a proud member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Our mission is to provide the benefits of a world-class research university to the people of Missouri through teaching, research, service and economic development on behalf of all its citizens. 

With an enrollment of over 32,000 students from all 50 states and 100+ countries, Mizzou is a $5 billion global enterprise, with areas of strength including journalism, agriculture and plant science, human and animal health, sustainable energy and more. 

A pioneer of experiential learning and the famed Missouri Method, Mizzou is a place where hands-on learning leads to academic excellence, scientific discovery and unparalleled student success.

Our Mission

Our distinct land-grant mission, as Missouri’s only state-supported member of the Association of American Universities, is to provide all Missourians the benefits of a world-class research university. We are stewards and builders of a priceless state resource, a unique physical infrastructure and scholarly environment in which our tightly interlocked missions of teaching, research, service and economic development work together on behalf of all citizens. Students work side by side with some of the world’s best faculty to advance the arts and humanities, the sciences and the professions. Scholarship and teaching are daily driven by a commitment to public service — the obligation to produce and disseminate knowledge that will improve the quality of life in the state, the nation and the world.