Buena Vista University

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Buena Vista University

Buena Vista University campus
Former name	Buena Vista College (1891–1995)[1]
Type	Private university
Established	1891; 133 years ago (1891)
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)
Endowment	$128.8 million (2020)[2]
President	Brian Lenzmeier
Students	1,973[3]
Undergraduates	1,474[3]
Postgraduates	499[3]
Location	Storm Lake , Iowa , United States 42°38′33″N 95°12′28″W / 42.642588°N 95.207875°W / 42.642588; -95.207875
Campus	Rural, 60 acres (0.25 km²)
Colors	Navy Blue and Gold
Mascot	Beavers
Website	www.bvu.edu

Buena Vista University is a private university in Storm Lake, Iowa. Founded in 1891 as Buena Vista College, it is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The university's 60-acre (240,000 m²) campus is situated on the shores of Storm Lake, a 3,200-acre (13 km²) natural lake.

At its inception, the college was housed in the Storm Lake Opera House, where it remained for only a year. Old Main, the college's first building, opened in 1892, and was occupied by faculty and students until it burned down in 1956. Major construction projects in the 1950s and 1960s extended the college, which soon included three dormitories, a library, and a number of classroom buildings.

The main campus of Buena Vista University offers a four-year residential collegiate experience and offers classes in 42 majors. Seventeen additional locations throughout Iowa and online serve working adult and graduate students as part of the Graduate & Professional Studies program.