McKendree University

McKendree University offers students many ways to make their mark, with 50 undergraduate majors and co-curricular activities including study abroad, debate, marching band, community service, cultural immersion and mission trips, and Greek life. Bearcat student-athletes compete in 33 men’s and women’s sports and McKendree is a member of NCAA Division II in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts is southern Illinois’ finest performing arts venue.

McKendree offers a high quality education in a friendly, nurturing environment. Total enrollment is over 3,000, with a 236-acre campus in Lebanon, Illinois near downtown St. Louis, and centers at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and in Kentucky.

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student Stories

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student Profiles

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117th Regiment Team Participates in DOE CyberForce Competition

McKendree University's 117th Regiment Collegiate Cybersecurity team finished 11th in the Department of Energy's recent CyberForce Competition at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago.

Student Competition - 2018 Dec 6

McKendree Delegates Represent Poland at Model UN

McKendree University students represented Poland at the 59th Midwest Model United Nations Conference in St. Louis on Feb. 20-23. .

Student Competition - Mar 6

Business Students Offer Creative Solutions in Competition

Business students participated in their first Pure Idea Generator competition, where they were asked to come up with a simple, creative idea to solve a problem or challenge.

Student Competition - 2018 Oct 12

Debaters Win the I-70 Cup

McKendree Universty speech and debate team members Alex Baldwin and Gage Simmons recently won the I-70 Cup, which is based on the cumulative results of four Midwestern debate tournaments. .

Student Competition - 2018 Mar 8

McKendree University Delegates Represent U.S. at Model UN

McKendree University students participated in the Midwest Model United Nations conference in St. Louis, Mo., from Feb. 21-24. McKendree students represented the United States at the conference attended by 45 universities throughout the Midwest. .

Student Competition - 2018 Feb 26

Cyber Defense Team Places in Top 5 at Midwest Regional

Congratulations to McKendree University's new Cyber Defense Team on its top 5 finish in the Midwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition--its first official competitive event!

Student Competition - 2018 Feb 20

Speech and Debate Team Opens its Season

The McKendree University speech and debate team opened its season recently with stellar performances at two elite tournaments, taking second place in debate at William Jewell College and reaching the finals in two events at Western Kentucky University.

Student Competition - 2017 Sep 27

McK Competitive Dance Team Earns 7th at Nationals

In its first trip to nationals,.the McKendree University Dance Team fiinished seventh at the 2017 NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla., April 6-8.

Student Competition - 2017 Apr 25

Speech and Debate Wins Big at Home and at Central Missouri!

The McKendree University speech and debate team competed at its home debate tournament on Oct, 20-22, and at the University of Central Missouri on Oct. 21-22, earning 56 awards--including 11 first place finishes--between the two.

Student Competition - 2017 Oct 30

Cheerleaders Take Third at Nationals!

Congratulations to the McKendree University Cheerleaders, who fiinished third in the Small Coed and Internediate Small Coed, Division II, competition at the 2017 NCA & NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Student Competition - 2017 Apr 25

Who Will be the Next "McKendree Idol"?

"McKendree Idol" celebrates its 12th year on campus and this year's competition is every bit as exciting as the first! The fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer Fund is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and Kappa Lambda Iota (CLIO). Meet the finalists who will vie for the title on April 1.

Student Competition - 2015 Mar 30

Two National Champions, 20 Awards for McKendree Speech and Debate!

McKendree University's speech and debate team opened its national competition season taking home two individual championships and 20 other awards at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, held at Ohio University on March 11-15.

Student Competition - 2015 Mar 17

Cheer Team Takes Third at Nationals!

McKendree University is cheering its team's recent third place finish in the Small Coed Division II of the National Cheerleaders Association's national competition in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Student Competition - 2014 Apr 17

Students Do Well in Business Ethics Competition

The Business Ethics team was a divisional runner-up at the recent International Business Ethics Case Competition in Tucson.

Student Competition - 2014 May 20

McKendree's Avidity Winter Guard Celebrates Its Success

The Avidity Winter Guard of McKendree University is celebrating its recent success, with the Independent Open Guard and the A Guard taking silver medals at two important competitions. In just a few years of existence, Avidity has risen from newcomer status to among the world's best and put McKendree on the map in the world of indoor color guard competition.

Student Competition - 2014 Apr 10

Britani Beasley is McKendree University's "Y98 Mistletoe Show Insider"

Britani Beasley will introduce singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw onstage as the winner of the "Y98 Mistletoe Show Insider Competition," co-sponsored by McKendree University and St. Louis radio station Y98.

Student Competition - 2013 Dec 2

Computing Students Fare Well at ACM Regional Programming Contest

Students from the Division of Computing had McKendree University's best ever showing at the Midwest Association of Computing Machinery programming contest on Nov. 2.

Student Competition - 2013 Nov 4

McKendree Debaters Finish Second at Loyola

The McKendree University debate team finished in second place and took home eight awards at the Loyola University tournament on Sept. 27-29 in Chicago.

Student Competition - 2013 Oct 3

Local McKendree Students Compete at International Business Conferences

Local McKendree University business students presented "What's Eating You? Unhealthy Eating Habits and Restaurant Responsibility" at two conference competitions. The four-member McKendree student team included:

Student Competition - 2013 May 31

McKendree University Students Win at PBL State Conference

The following local McKendree University students were successful at the Illinois Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) State Leadership Conference, held April 5 and 6 in Effingham:

Student Competition - 2013 Apr 11

Speech Team Takes Fifth Place at Indy

The McKendree University speech team advanced in seven events and took fifth place overall at the recent University of Indianapolis forensics tournament.

Student Competition - 2013 Oct 1

McKendree University Debaters Take Second at Wheaton Tournament

The following local McKendree University students took second place in debate sweepstakes at Wheaton College's Hollatz Debates recently:

Student Competition - 2013 Feb 12

McKendree University Debaters Compete at Washburn Tournament

The following local students were among the eight McKendree University debaters who competed in the Washburn University tournament in Topeka, Kan., on Nov. 9-11, competing against students from 13 colleges and universities:

Student Competition - 2012 Nov 14