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Message from the Office of the Chancellor

October 5, 2021 - Numbers that make us #UMSLProud

Dear UMSL Community,

It is such an exciting time to be part of the University of Missouri–St. Louis as we work so many different ways to foster inclusive excellence in the St. Louis region and far beyond it.

Consider the following facts about UMSL:

  • Jumped 42 places over the past two years in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings – the sixth highest climb in the country – now ranking No. 118 among all public universities in the nation
  • No. 6 in the United States and No. 52 in the world in “Best Universities for Reducing Inequalities” (Times Higher Education)
  • Top 100 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of "Top Performers on Social Mobility"
  • Only institution in Missouri to earn a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award – our fifth time receiving the award, the only Missouri institution to do so (INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine)
  • Two Inspiring Programs in STEM awards for the Eyes on Diversity and CLIMB programs (INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine)
  • No. 1 in Missouri and No. 37 nationally on Military Times’ Best for Vets Colleges List
  • Highest retention and graduation rates in the country among our peer public urban universities (National Center for Education Statistics)
  • One of only five schools in Missouri and Southern Illinois recognized for Degrees with Less Debt (St. Louis Graduates)
  • Over 3,000 students earned their degrees during this past academic year among the COVID challenges – a 5% increase over last year
  • 75% of UMSL alumni remain in the St. Louis region to live and work – representing the largest alumni base in the region.

This university was founded nearly 60 years ago as a place where students, no matter their background, could receive a high quality and affordable education, and we are constantly working to deliver on that promise, helping students transform their lives and improve their economic circumstances through education.

This week, we will celebrate our history when we hold our 30th annual Founders Celebration and honor our 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award winners and the recipients of the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Medal for Philanthropy, as well as showing our gratitude to the many people who help us carry out our mission.

But there are also exciting things happening that will benefit the future of our university, and in turn, the St. Louis region, including a new educational partnership agreement between UMSL and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. We want to work alongside NGA to develop students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in St. Louis’ growing geospatial ecosystem. I am thrilled to be taking part in a signing ceremony to finalize that agreement later this week.

We continue to be a regional driver of workforce development across a wide array of industries. UMSL students recently took part in our Fall Virtual Internship and Job Fair, which attracted 111 employers and 419 students and graduates. That represented a 25% increase in employer participation and a 10% increase in candidate engagement over last fall’s fair. Overall, recruiters held 1,114 meetings, and attendees spent more than 278 hours connecting with a variety of employers via the Career Fair Plus platform.

We look forward to seeing our newest graduates walk across the stage during commencement ceremonies later this year and in the spring and are even more excited to see the impact they will make on our region and our world when they ultimately launch their careers.

Gratefully forward,

Kristin Sobolik
Chancellor
University of Missouri–St. Louis