At places like the University of Missouri, students are thrilled to be back.
"It was hard to focus being back home," explains Katelynn McIlwain, a student at the university in Columbia. "I am glad to be back and on campus, walking around, going to class, and meeting my professors in person. It's great to kind of have a sense of normalcy."
But, the ongoing spread of the Delta variant still presents a legitimate concern for university students and faculty.
Three students attending universities in Missouri explain what its like to be back at school in the middle of a pandemic.
- Lawrence Brooks, University of Missouri - Kansas City student
- Katelynn McIlwain, University of Missouri - Columbia student
- Brandon Williams, Avila University student