Mises University 2027

Mises U is open only to scholarship students and invited donors. If you have any questions, please contact Felicia Jones (felicia@mises.org).

The Program

Mises University is the world’s leading instructional program in the Austrian school of economics. Since 1986, it has been the essential training ground for college students who are looking beyond the mainstream.

Austrian economics is based on the reality of human action, not mathematical models. It showcases the way markets work—how entrepreneurship, market prices, and the division of labor are essential for healthy, progressing economies. This approach to economics was developed by Carl Menger, Ludwig von Mises, F. A. Hayek, and Murray Rothbard.

The program offers lectures on the whole range of the discipline, from economic foundations to applied topics. Subject areas include markets, competition, value and utility, money and banking, business cycles, methodology, economic history, the philosophy of science, finance, and government intervention. Meals and nightly social hours allow time to meet and discuss it all with faculty and other students.

The program ends with the Mündliche Prüfung, an optional oral exam for honors and cash prizes for the top three participants.

Conference registration opens on Sunday, July 18, at 5:00 p.m. central time at the Mises Institute, 518 W. Magnolia Ave., Auburn, Alabama, and is followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. and the opening lecture at 7:00 p.m. The event ends with a cookout on Saturday, July 24, at 4:00 p.m. Students should check into their accommodations at the Auburn University Hotel before coming to the Mises Institute. There will be shuttles from the hotel to the Mises Institute Sunday afternoon.

Costs

Through the generosity of Mises Institute Supporters, there is no registration fee for students accepted to Mises University. All accepted students will receive admission to all sessions and will be provided with accommodations for 7 nights, transportation during the conference, refreshments between sessions, and all meals beginning with dinner on Sunday, July 18, and ending with dinner on Saturday, July 24.

All accepted students are eligible for travel scholarships of up to $750 if traveling within the United States and up to $1,000 if traveling internationally. 

Admission is highly selective. Students must be able to attend the full event to be admitted.

Prizes

The Mündliche Prüfung is an optional oral exam for students who would like to have their knowledge tested at the end of the conference and who would like the opportunity to compete for cash prizes.

Preliminary written testing on Thursday determines who is qualified to take the final exam on Saturday. A faculty jury will engage each of the preliminary passing examinees in a ten-minute question-and-answer session based on the required readings and the plenary lectures each has attended. At graduation, those who passed the oral exams will receive a graded acknowledgement.

Each faculty panel will select two students as the leading candidates from its examinations. These six finalists will then undergo a deeper examination by the entire faculty. The third- and second-highest scorers will receive prizes of $1,000 and $2,500, respectively. The student selected by the faculty as the most learned of the conference will receive the Douglas E. French Prize of $5,000.

Accommodations, Meals, and the Campus

Students of the same gender will share rooms at the AU Hotel. Check-in is after 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, and checkout is by 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 25. Students should indicate on their application or inform Felicia Jones upon acceptance if they have a roommate request.

The Mises Institute provides all student meals beginning on Sunday, July 18, and ending with the closing cookout on Saturday, July 24. Breakfasts will be served at the Auburn University Hotel. Lunches and dinners will be served at the Mises Institute or local restaurants. Nightly social hours will offer refreshments in an informal atmosphere ideal for discussing new ideas from the daily lectures and making friends. For any dietary needs, indicate on the application and inform Felicia Jones upon acceptance.

The Mises Institute, where sessions take place, is adjacent to Auburn University and near the heart of downtown Auburn. The Mises Campus features seminar rooms; an extensive special collections library, including the personal library of Murray Rothbard; a large archival center housing the papers of Mises, Rothbard, and other great Austrian economists; a bookstore; a discussion conservatory; an amphitheater; and study gardens.

Travel

Attendees are responsible for arranging their own travel. The nearest international airport is the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The most affordable option for transportation between Auburn and Atlanta is Groome Transportation (select the AU Hotel and Conference Center as the pickup/drop-off location). There are also shuttles between the Atlanta, GA; Columbus, GA; Montgomery, AL; and Birmingham, AL airports through Tiger Taxi Shuttle.

Apply Now

Applications for Mises University 2027 are now open! All full-time college and university students from all disciplines are eligible to apply. Note that space is limited and the application process is highly competitive.

International students, please complete this application form by April 30, 2027. Students residing in the United States, please complete this application form by May 28, 2027. Acceptance letters will be sent within two weeks of each application’s deadline. 

Once you’ve received your acceptance, please submit your refundable deposit to confirm your attendance. Your deposit will be refunded to you after arrival during Mises University 2027. You must complete the deposit form to confirm your attendance.

Application Requirements

1. Application form
2. Unofficial copy of university transcript
3. Copy of student photo ID
4. Academic letter of recommendation
5. Writing sample
6. Signed Code of Conduct Agreement

Important Note: The academic letter of recommendation should address your academic strengths beyond what is recorded on your transcript. Particularly helpful are comments on your interest in Austrian economics or Austrian scholarship in general. If you are a graduate student, the letters should address the quality of your research and potential to make contributions to your field. If your professor wishes to send this letter privately, it may be emailed to felicia@mises.org. The writing sample may be a short essay written for coursework, a Mises Wire article, or any other written demonstration of a student’s intellectual proficiency.

Questions? Contact Felicia Jones, felicia@mises.org.