A private, four-year liberal arts college, Elmhurst College was established in 1871 by Protestant German immigrants and affiliated with the United Church of Christ. The 38-acre campus, located 16 miles west of downtown Chicago, is a registered arboretum with more than 600 varieties of trees and shrubs and 24 academic, residential and recreational buildings. Just under 3,000 students attend Elmhurst College, the bulk of whom are undergrads.