Concordia University Wisconsin

For 137 years, Concordia has educated students for lives of Christian leadership and service, uniquely developing people to step out into the world ready to make an uncommon impact. While our mission has expanded over the years, our commitment to this core purpose remains.

CUW is famous for our beautiful campus on 200 acres of lakefront property on the shores of Lake Michigan. We are located in Mequon, Wisconsin, which is about 20 minutes North of Milwaukee.

Concordia University Wisconsin is known for its breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, and in fact, many students will say the campus’ location played a big role in their decision to enroll. But a large percentage of Concordia alumni living today—and even a few current faculty—will recall making a very different commute to school.

That’s because Concordia’s original campus was located in downtown Milwaukee on 31st Street, between State and Highland Streets. From the school’s inception in 1881 to 1983, students who attended CUW (then called Concordia College) did so in the city. The inaugural class of Concordians, which was comprised of 13 students, met in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee. The next year, the 31st Street property was purchased to start Concordia’s first permanent campus.

For the next approximately eight decades, Concordia College offered high school and the first two years of a liberal arts college program, providing classical, technical, and religious instruction for students who desired to prepare themselves for the ministry of the Lutheran Church. In 1978, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod authorized Concordia to become a four-year accredited college that would provide instruction in teacher education, nursing, medical assistant, social work, and engineering.

In a farsighted move in 1982, the LCMS purchased the former campus of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mequon, Wisconsin, and the college was moved 15 minutes north of its original site.

On August 27, 1989, the Board of Regents approved the move to university status, and Concordia University Wisconsin became the first university among the 10-member Concordia University System.

In 2012, CUW entered into a strategic relationship with Concordia University in Ann Arbor. The university now consists of two residential campuses in Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, 7 centers located throughout Wisconsin, and online programs that reach students worldwide, with one president and governing body presiding over all.

When applying for admission to CUW, you will have to submit a proof of your ability to cover all expenses at least during the first year of your stay here. As an international student at CUW you will not be eligible for any type of financial assistance that is offered for the American students (scholarships, fellowships, grants). It is also extremely difficult to get a loan from any American bank. This means that it is your responsibility to find funds needed and you cannot count on any financial source in the U.S. You cannot expect to obtain this money by undertaking employment because according to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations, you may not engage in any type of off-campus employment until the end of the first academic year. Any subsequent employment is strictly regulated and limited in time. In regard to this, before coming to the U.S. carefully consider if you have the necessary financial resources to cover your tuition and living expenses at least for the first year of your stay.

There are limited institutional scholarship opportunities for international undergraduate students. Possible scholarships are based on academic performance. The student must apply each semester.

Undergraduate students

Financial aid in the form of institutional scholarships and grants is available to qualifying undergraduate students.

Awards are solely based on GPA. Through the Luther Promise schlorship, a student who has managed to obtain a 3.79 GPA or above can recieve a maximum of $18,000.

Graduate assistantships

The only financial assistance available for international students is offered to graduate students in the form of graduate assistantship positions. Both international and American graduate students are eligible for the assistantship positions. Graduate students are offered a job in one of the departments that offer positions. Graduate assistants undertake to work 20 hours per week for one calendar year. At the end of each month the department you work with (sign a contract) pays $1,000. You can use this money either for covering your tuition, living or other expenses.

In order to apply for a graduate assistantship position, by May 1st you would have to submit the following documents:

• Fill in a graduate assistantship application form
• Obtain two letters of recommendation from your professors
• Prepare a current resume with your biography
• Write a cover letter addressed to the Graduate Assistant Selection Director explaining reasons for applying for a position

Living on campus
Living on campus is a fantastic opportunity to interact with other students from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. You can fully soak in the true “college experience,” by getting involved in the social, intellectual, physical, cultural, and spiritual events CUW offers. The best part of living on campus? You can sleep in longer each morning because your classroom is just a short walk away. And did we mention that all of our residence halls, dining halls, and classrooms are connected by an underground tunnel system so you don't have to walk outside in the snow unless you want to? Yeah, we like that, too.

Off-Campus Accommodations: Students have numerous options of finding an accommodation off-campus in nearby areas. Students can have access to studio apartments, paying guest facilities, sharing apartment complexes and many more. 

The university has student wellness and health centres, organizes events and activities for an all-rounded student experience. It also hosts varsity-level sports teams for golf, ice hockey, shooting, soccer, dance, basketball, softball, tennis, wrestling and many more. The campus also houses a bookstore. Online student portals and labs add to the student experience.