Bradley University

Bradley University, an independent, privately endowed, coeducational institution, was founded in 1897 as Bradley Polytechnic Institute by Lydia Moss Bradley as a memorial to her children and husband, Tobias. It became a four-year college in 1920 and in 1946 became a university and began offering graduate programs. It is fully accredited.

Bradley offers its undergraduate students more than 100 programs among five colleges: Foster College of Business Administration; Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts; College of Education and Health Sciences; College of Engineering and Technology; and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Known as the Bradley Braves, men's and women's athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division I level. Bradley's rich athletic tradition includes seven Missouri Valley Conference championships and four NIT championships in men's basketball; six Missouri Valley Conference championships in baseball and two appearances in the collegiate world series; Missouri Valley Conference titles in soccer, women's cross country and golf in 1999, 2002 and 2003; plus numerous all-Americans and conference and national leaders in both men's and women's sports.

Bradley is within three hours driving distance from Chicago or St. Louis and is also accessible by air. The O’Hare & Midway bus service provides easy transportation between major Chicago airports and the Bradley campus. Or, better yet, fly directly to the Greater Peoria Regional Airport, which enjoys daily jet service from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and St. Louis.

Peoria has garnered the All-American City award three times. As national test marketers have found, Peoria is a microcosm of America. To “play in Peoria” is not only an old term from vaudeville, it is also a catch phrase used to explain the thoughts and habits of the typical American.

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