Drury University is a private, four-year, coeducational liberal arts institution related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Springfield, Missouri.

Drury University is a mid-sized private university in Springfield, Missouri. It enrolls about 1,700 traditional undergraduates, 3,000 adult part-time undergraduates and 400 graduate students in five Master's programs. It ranks in the top 10-15 in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings for Midwestern Master's Universities.

In 2005, Drury was one of 16 colleges and universities in the nation selected to participate in the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) project “Shared Futures: General Education for Global Learning,” which focuses on linking the liberal arts to global issues.

The university has several distinctive features that contribute to its status as one of the Midwest's leading private universities. It is home to the first full architecture school accredited on a liberal arts campus, the Hammons School of Architecture. Every student earns a minor in global studies through a unique core curriculum called Global Perspectives 21, which combines the sciences, social sciences and humanities to enhance communication and problem-solving skills. Throughout more than 50 majors, minors and special programs, there is an emphasis on academic rigor and making the education experience relevant to a student's professional plans.

A key to the Drury experience is the way students develop friendships with faculty. A professor teaches every class; there are no teaching assistants. In classroom discussions, frequent conversation outside of class, and undergraduate research projects, students and faculty treat each other as colleagues.

Drury's innovative, intense yet very personal approach to learning happens in a traditional campus setting. The 80-acre campus is surrounded by downtown Springfield, yet sheltered from the bustle of urban life --- until a student decides it's time to explore. Then the city reveals art, culture, and community service opportunities in abundance.

Drury was founded as Springfield College in 1873 by Congregationalist church missionaries, and patterned after existing Congregationalist universities such as Oberlin College, Dartmouth College, Carleton College, and Yale University. Rev. Nathan Morrison, Samuel Drury, and James and Charles Harwood provided the school's initial endowment and organization; Drury's endowment was the largest of the group, so before the year was over the school was renamed in honor of Drury's recently deceased son. Drury College became Drury University on January 1, 2000.

The school was a founding member of the Heartland Conference. In the Fall of 2005, the Drury Panthers joined the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Drury sponsors NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic teams in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

In 2005 it welcomed a new president, John Sellars.

External link

• Official website
• GLVC Communication

Universities and colleges in Missouri | Springfield, Missouri | Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Church of Christ