Founded in 1853, the University ranks among the nation's leaders in higher education and research and is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a research university that conducts a very high level of research activity (RU/VH). As the fourth-largest employer in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Washington University’s staff and faculty comprises more than 12,000 full- and part-time employees. The University’s mission is to be recognized as both an employer of choice and an exemplary employer; in recent years, Washington University was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal among the city’s “Best Places To Work.”
