Saint Louis University, a privately owned entity headquartered in the US, founded in 1818, operates with approximately 7,930 employees. The university functions as a private Jesuit research university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is known as the oldest university west of the Mississippi River and one of the oldest Jesuit universities in the United States, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The campus incorporates several colleges and schools, and its Madrid campus, established in 1969, stands as the first freestanding campus operated by an American University in Europe. This Madrid campus is recognized by Spain's higher education authority as an official foreign university, marking the first U.S. institution to hold this endorsement.