Aurora University’s main campus is small — just 32 acres tucked into a neighborhood in Aurora, about 45 miles west of Chicago. But AU packs plenty of attractive programs and academics into the campus.
The university offers about 50 undergraduate majors, with business, nursing and social work drawing the largest numbers of students. Its Institute for Collaboration, launched more than 20 years ago, works with the Aurora community to create programs to address educational and social issues.
The university is also home to innovative programs focused on healthcare and communication.The Betty Parke Tucker Center for Neurodiversity helps students on the autism spectrum prepare for and transition to college life. And in 2025, the school opened the new bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders to help meet the demand for professionals to diagnose and treat hearing, speech and language disorders.
About a third of Aurora’s 4,200 undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college. The school also offers robust financial aid programs. In fact, about 96% of undergraduates receive financial aid.
Outside of class, there are 60-some student groups to get involved with, and there are 25 NCAA Division III athletic teams. The school also has online degree programs, and social work, nursing and elementary education degrees are offered at a separate campus center about 45 miles north in Woodstock, Illinois.
