Park University
Founded in 1875 in Parkville, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City, Park
University has developed into a comprehensive, independent, Master's I
institution that is a national leader in higher education. In 2000, Park
achieved university status and now serves 25,169 students annually on 42 Campus
Centers in 21 states and Online, including Campus Centers in Parkville,
Independence, Kansas City, and Lexington, Mo., and Austin, Texas.
Serving an ethnically diverse student population and non-traditional
adult learners has, for many years, been central to Park's educational mission.
Even in its first year, Park University enrolled women students as well as men,
something that was unusual at the time; and two of the original 17 students were
Native Americans. And, Park was an early integrator when it welcomed
African-American students to live in Park's residence halls in the 1950s.
Park continues to increase access to higher education by offering the
quality undergraduate and graduate degrees students desire at locations, times
and delivery formats that best serve their needs. Providing such access has
developed considerable diversity among the student population, with more than
500 international students from 106 countries, and a 42 percent student
representation from racial, ethnic and cultural groups typically
underrepresented in colleges and universities. The University has repeatedly
been recognized as one of the top 100 American colleges/universities in the
nation graduating Hispanic, African-American and American-Indian students. In
addition, extracurricular activities and championship-caliber athletic programs
complement Park's outstanding scholastic programs.
Park University offers numerous degree programs Online, for which there
were more than 42,000 enrollments during the 2004-2005 academic year. Park and
the U.S. Military have a long-standing relationship and the University has been
recognized as one of the largest providers of Online undergraduate education to
military learners worldwide. The University was awarded the Ray Ehrensberger
Award for Institutional Excellence in Military Education by the Commission on
Military Education and Training. Most recently, the U.S. News & World Report
recently ranked Park as the second largest Online degree-granting programs in
the U.S.
The mission of Park University, an entrepreneurial institution of learning, is to provide
access to academic excellence which will prepare learners to think critically,
communicate effectively and engage in lifelong learning while serving a global
community.