Capital University

Capital University is a private four-year undergraduate institution and graduate school located in the capital city of Columbus, Ohio. At Capital, we transform lives through higher education, and our purpose is purpose. Through an immersive, high-impact and convergent approach to teaching and learning, we find, feed and refine the role each of us was born for — no matter who we are.

With roots that ground us firmly in a history of academic excellence, free inquiry and individual development of every student, Capital combines personal attention with a balanced liberal arts and professional studies education. Since its founding by the Lutheran Church in 1830 and charter as a university in 1850, Capital has been an agent in shaping engaged citizens and purposeful leaders who improve their industries, communities and society. Our roots secure us as we stretch toward innovation, new ways of knowing, and better ways of contributing. Our values ground us, as we remove obstacles to give each student, faculty, staff, community member, and neighbor a chance to do more, not less.

Capital University serves a diverse student body of nearly 3,500, including traditional undergraduates, degree-completion and graduate students. We offer 60 majors and more than 50 minors in the areas of Music, Arts and Communication, Business and Management, Education, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Nursing and Health, and Social Sciences. We offer graduate degrees and/or post-degree certification in Education, Law, Nursing, Business and Music Education.

Deeply connected to the capital city we call home, Capital is at the epicenter of purpose, possibility and the power of purple. Helping to fuel the vibrant metropolitan area of Columbus – a city that often makes “top 10” lists for livability, technology, opportunity and jobs – students plug into a diverse economy that’s home to many Fortune 500 companies in the third largest city in the Midwest.

Capital University is a comprehensive, private university, centered in contemporary Lutheran values, offering undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professions.
Our mission is to transforming lives for a brighter world.

Capital University serves a diverse student body of nearly 3,500, including traditional undergraduates, students who’ve come back to college to complete their bachelor’s degree or get a second one, graduate students and those seeking a specific license or certification. We deliver undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, sciences, humanities and professions. For those driven to do more, we also offer graduate degrees in law, nursing, business and music education.

At Capital, we partner with you to forge a focused path to your future—a pathway that begins with your dreams and culminates with you becoming the person and the professional you want to be. Each of our 60 majors and 51 minors offers a distinct focus, yet you will find endless interconnections between your chosen discipline and related — or seemingly unrelated — areas of study.

Thousands of lives have been transformed by what happens in our classrooms, where learning is an active process. Where students and professors are highly engaged in the exchange, using teaching and learning practices proven to have the highest impact on learning.

Practices like first-year seminars that teach you how to be successful in college. Practices like internships, learning communities, undergraduate research and capstones. Where there’s less traditional lecture and more rolling up your sleeves and finding answers with your classmates and professors at your side. Where the latest in academic technology prepares you for class before you walk through the door, and then waits to show you more examples of what you’ve just learned — in the environment of your choice and on your own time.

You don’t just memorize what you need to know for the next exam. You acquire new knowledge and experience that will help you navigate the next educational and professional challenge. You don’t just master the material on paper. You get experience (and a portfolio) doing the work. We also believe learning takes place outside of the classroom through leadership in student organizations, service-learning and diverse and global learning through study abroad.

Whatever your program, we advocate for your success by partnering with you while you find your place as a learner, professional and citizen. Your student success advocates aren’t just your professors. Every employee at Capital is a student success advocate. It may not be in their job title, but it’s everyone’s goal.

Capital was founded in 1830, and the way we teach and learn today is heavily influenced by our Lutheran heritage. Our academic approach is rooted in the values of free inquiry, vigorous learning, critical thinking and relentless questioning.

Believing our community is strengthened by those who bring different perspectives, we embrace diversity and inclusion, welcoming people of all faiths, cultures, traditions, experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We educate broadly to build your knowledge and expand your world view. We also educate you specifically to refine your skills and talent in a particular field. And we prepare you to navigate complexity, diversity and change. So that you will be empowered as a citizen to do good in the world. And you’ll be prepared as a professional to do well in your field. This balance of liberal studies with the professional and career fields is central to our university learning goals.