Academic Opportunities

Loyola students take advantage of many academic opportunities in Chicago, including:

• Three Chicago-area campuses: Lake Shore, Water Tower, and Health Sciences
• Research and fieldwork opportunities at many major local institutions, including the Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Public Schools, and more
• A diverse cultural and economical environment that enhances the Loyola community's global sophistication

About Our City

How well do you know Chicago?

Quick facts

• Chicago is home to 70 museums, more than 200 theaters, 7,300 restaurants, and 400 neighborhood festivals.
• Three of the world's tallest buildings are located in Chicago: Willis Tower, AON Center, and Trump International Hotel and Tower.
• The nickname of "The Windy City" was bestowed on Chicago in 1893 by New York Sun editor Charles Dana. He was tired of listening to long-winded politicians boast about the World's Fair that was held in Chicago the same year.
• Chicago currently has 2,695,598 residents in its 237 square miles.
• More than 50 million people visit Chicago each year.
• Only 59 percent of Chicago residents were born in Illinois, and 21 percent were born in another country.
• Chicago has 50 wards; 77 neighborhoods; 12,051 police officers; 47,330 fire hydrants; and 5,400 active taxis at any given time.

Bigger is better

Chicago is home to one of the world’s largest:

• Commercial office buildings (Merchandise Mart)
• Illuminated fountains (Buckingham Fountain)
• Free public zoos (Lincoln Park Zoo)
• Food festivals (Taste of Chicago)
• Futures and options exchanges (Chicago Board of Trade)

Chicago firsts

The following things were created in Chicago:

• Ferris wheels
• Steel-frame skyscrapers
• Softball
• Elevated railways
• Zippers
• Daytime soap operas
• McDonald's restaurants
• Electric irons and cooking ranges
• Grain reapers
• Bifocal contact lenses
• Winding watches
• Butterfingers
• Twinkies

Famous buildings

• Willis Tower, the tallest building in America and one of the tallest buildings in the world. Including its antennas, the total height is 1,730 feet.
• Tribune Tower, home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, has exterior walls that are embedded with authentic pieces of famous buildings including Westminster Abbey, the Alamo, the Great Pyramid, Taj Mahal, Fort Sumter, and Arc de Triomphe.
• Old Water Tower building, constructed in 1869, was one of the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

Movies filmed in Chicago

Since 1980, more than 600 feature film and television productions have been shot in Chicago, including:

• A League of Their Own
• Bad Boys
• Barbershop I, II
• Batman Begins
• Chicago: The Musical
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Home Alone I, II, III
• Miracle on 34th Street
• My Best Friend's Wedding
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12
• Sixteen Candles
• Stir of Echoes
• Stranger Than Fiction
• Surviving Christmas
• The Blues Brothers
• The Break-Up
• The Dark Knight
• The Fugitive
• The Weather Man
• What Women Want
• When Harry Met Sally
• Flatliners
• The Bear
• Chicago Fire
• Chicago Med

Songs

Chicago has served as the inspiration for many songs, including:

• Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (Jim Croce)
• Chicago (Sufjan Stevens)
• Dear Chicago (Ryan Adams)
• Lake Shore Drive (Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah)
• Little Joe From Chicago (Nat King Cole)
• My Kind of Town (Frank Sinatra)
• Sweet Home Chicago (various artists)
• Tonight, Tonight (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Notable Loyola University Chicago Alumni

Here is a list of notable people who graduated from Loyola University Chicago

• Mamie Till-Mobley
• George Halas, Jr.
• Bob Newhart
• Jennifer Pritzker
• Sandra Cisneros
• Jennifer Morrison
• Bill Rancic

Visit the Wikipedia list of other notable people of Loyola University Chicago

Famous Chicagoans

Here is a list of notable people who were born or have lived in or near Chicago:

• Gillian Anderson
• John and Jim Belushi
• Ray Bradbury
• Gwendolyn Brooks
• Wesley Clark
• Hillary Rodham Clinton
• Nat King Cole
• Common
• Billy Corgan
• John and Joan Cusak
• Walt Disney
• Tina Fey
• Harrison Ford
• Bob Fosse
• Benny Goodman
• Edward Gorey
• Buddy Guy
• Dorothy Hamill
• Ernest Hemingway
• Jennifer Hudson
• John Malkovich
• Bill Murray
• Barack and Michelle Obama
• Donald Rumsfeld
• Pat Sajak
• Shel Silverstein
• Gary Sinise
• Louis Sullivan
• Vince Vaughn
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Chance the Rapper
• Stephen Colbert
• Seth Meyers
• Betty White

Entertainment and Recreation

The Windy City has something to offer everyone.

• Art. The Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Loyola University Museum of Art are just some of the many art museums and galleries located in Chicago.
• Dining. There are thousands of restaurants located in Chicago. The city is famous for its deep dish pizza and fantastic hot dogs. (No visit to Chicago is complete without trips to Gino's East and Portillo's!)
• Horticulture. Chicago Botanic Gardens is one of the country's most visited public gardens. The Chicago Park District maintains two world-class conservatories in Lincoln Park and Garfield Park.
• Lake Michigan. This Great Lake boasts 22 miles of public beachfront for biking, rollerblading, swimming, and boating.
• Museums. The Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum offer impressive exhibits and interactive learning experiences.
• Music. There are countless musical venues in Chicago, ranging from large pavilions such as the United Center to smaller locations like House of Blues and the Vic Theatre. Chicago is known for its world-class music festivals, including the Jazz Festival, Blues Festival, and Lollapalooza.
• Navy Pier. A Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916, Navy Pier now showcases restaurants, shops, and entertainment including an IMAX theatre, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, a nearly 200-foot-high Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and the Skyline Stage outdoor performance pavilion.
• Parks. The Chicago Park District maintains more than 600 parks. Grant Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago and is home to the famous Buckingham Fountain. Millennium Park opened in 2004 and is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture, and landscape design.
• Shopping. Loyola's Water Tower Campus is located steps away from Chicago's Magnificent Mile, the world-famous shopping destination in the city. Another popular shopping area is located on State Street, which is home to several major department stores. Jeweler's Row, also known as the diamond district, is located on Wabash Avenue.
• Sports. Chicago is home to many national sports teams, including: the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Bears, and Blackhawks.
• Tours. Walk through the Gold Coast/Near North/Lincoln Park neighborhoods and the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods and discover Chicago's cultural gems while tasting delicious foods on a Chicago Food Tour.
• Theatre. Many of the nation's most prestigious theatres are located in Chicago, including Steppenwolf, Goodman, and Chicago Shakespeare. The impressive downtown theatre district also sponsors a Broadway in Chicago series.
• Wildlife. Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the largest free zoos in the country. The Shedd Aquarium is home to more than 32,000 animals.

Internships and Careers

Chicago is home to one of the largest and most diversified economies in the world, providing students with countless internship and career options.

• Thousands of internship opportunities are available in a wide range of industries, including media, commerce, medicine, banking, the arts, social services, sports, and more
• Loyola's Career Development Center offers services like resume critiquing and career self-assessment workshops to help students determine and articulate their strengths, values, and interests as they relate to career areas and jobs.

Service-Learning

Education at Loyola extends beyond the classroom. Many students expand their experience by participating in service-learning projects, which combine academic instruction with community-based learning.

• Hands-on service-learning opportunities that introduce students to the complexity of social issues by combining classroom studies with community work
• Loyola's Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL), which works closely with community activists and organizations to perform research that addresses community needs

Suburban Immersion

In addition to all the wonderful opportunities available in Chicago, local suburbs also have a lot to offer.

• Dozens of shopping centers, including Old Orchard, Oakbrook Center, and Woodfield, which is one of the largest malls in the country
• Brookfield Zoo, which is spread over 216 acres and includes a children's zoo, butterfly garden, and interactive family play area
• The Chicago Fire soccer team and Chicago Wolves hockey team
• Six Flags Great America, a large theme park that includes entertainment, roller coasters, and other rides
• Cantigny Park, which features 40 acres of formal gardens and several historical museums