Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is a private institution that was founded in 1911. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,184, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 142 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Loyola Marymount University's ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (West), 3. Its tuition and fees are $42,569 (2015-16).

Loyola Marymount University—the largest Catholic university on the West Coast—is located in Los Angeles. LMU provides housing to more than 3,000 students in its residence halls, apartments, and houses. There are about 150 student clubs and organizations on campus, including nearly 15 Greek chapters. Students interested in media can join the radio station; The Los Angeles Loyolan, a student newspaper; The Tower, a university yearbook; or ROAR Network, a television channel. The Loyola Marymount Lions field a number of Division I athletic teams and compete in the West Coast Conference. Club sports like the surfing, rugby, and ski and snowboard are also popular among students.

LMU is comprised of seven schools and colleges. Graduate programs include the College of Business Administration, Loyola Law School, and School of Education. All undergraduates—whether members of Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Communication and Fine Arts, or School of Film and Television—must complete the core curriculum. More than 500 students study abroad each year through LMU programs in Melbourne, Australia; Bonn, Germany; and Seoul, South Korea, among other locations. Notable alumni include Brian Helgeland, who wrote the screenplays for films Mystic River and L.A. Confidential, and famous lawyer Johnnie Cochran, who defended O.J. Simpson.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Loyola Marymount University is one of the largest Catholic universities in the West and one of 28 Jesuit universities in the United States. LMU's 142-acre campus, designated as one of the country's most beautiful, is situated on a bluff overlooking Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. At LMU the city becomes an extension of the classroom, offering a rich diversity of culture, interests, access and opportunities. LMU, founded in 1911, is a comprehensive university offering more than 60 major programs and 56 minor programs for undergraduates; 41 master's degrees; one doctoral degree; and 12 credential programs. Colleges and schools include Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts; College of Business Administration; College of Communication and Fine Arts; Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering; Loyola Law School; School of Education; and School of Film and Television. A new state-of-the-art library opened in 2009. LMU educates over 6,000 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students, who benefit from small class sizes, study abroad programs and one of Southern California's most diverse student populations. The 2014 undergraduate class includes students from almost every state in the country and international students from the United Kingdom, China, Uruguay, Indonesia, Spain and many others. The diversity of cultures is a distinctive embodiment of LMU's commitment to human dignity, individual respect and social justice that creates an essential environment for academic excellence and community for the 21st century. In 2015, 21.8 percent of LMU's undergraduate students were Hispanic/Latino, 10.7 percent were Asian, 7.6 percent were Multirace, 5.7 percent were African-American, 7.1 percent were International, 0.2 percent American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.1 percent Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 46.4 percent were White, Non-Hispanic. Community-based learning has been integrated into many courses, giving students experience in being of service as they work on their academic goals. This commitment to service also is expressed by the 175,000 hours students volunteer every year through 350 community organizations. LMU's academic rigor and demand for excellence places it among the 25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future and a top producer of Fulbright awardees. Academic Life The student-faculty ratio at Loyola Marymount University is 11:1, and the school has 51 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Loyola Marymount University include: Business/Commerce, General; Visual and Performing Arts, General; Social Sciences, General; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 90.5 percent. Student Life Loyola Marymount University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,184, with a gender distribution of 42.9 percent male students and 57.1 percent female students. At this school, 53 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 47 percent of students live off campus. Loyola Marymount University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference. Campus Services Loyola Marymount University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Loyola Marymount University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Loyola Marymount University, 58 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Loyola Marymount University.