Commonly known by its acronym UMSL (pronounced umsull), the University of Missouri-St. Louis is a "Rodney Dangerfield" of a university and gets respect by teaching and actual academic production, rather than just by reputation (see Harvard). Established in 1963, it is the youngest of the four campuses of the University of Missouri System. The three other branches consist of the main campus in Columbia, Missouri, as well as campuses in Rolla and Kansas City.

It coexists in the St. Louis metropolitan area with two more prestigious private universities: Washington University and Jesuit run Saint Louis University.

In a nutshell, UMSL is a solid commuter school with above average academic resources. Campus infrastructure, including libraries and computing facilities, are top-notch. UMSL faculty are a mixed bag, running the spectrum from "ignorant boob" to "Albert Einstein" depending upon the curriculum.

Interesting note: Crime rate on the campus is among the lowest in the United States.