What Makes St. John’s “The Most Contrarian College in America”?

ONE GREAT BOOKS COLLEGE. TWO GREAT CAMPUSES.

St. John’s was founded in 1696, making it the third oldest college in the U.S. — and we remain the most distinct.

There is no college as rigorously intellectual as St. John’s. Our students share a common curriculum — they read and discuss over 200 of the greatest books of all time. Students learn from history’s most significant authors and artists: Plato, Austen, Bach, Einstein, Woolf, and Du Bois, to name a few. Discussion-based classes of 20 students or fewer explore philosophy, literature, science, music, language, politics, and more. Whether hiking in the mountain capital of Santa Fe, or playing croquet in the storied city of Annapolis, you will immerse yourself in a truly singular education — with peers who love to talk about ideas as much as you do.

Four years here prepare you for anything, thanks to the depth and breadth of the learning. The careers of tomorrow call for exactly what St. John’s cultivates: self-driven inquiry and analysis, fearless examination of complex issues, interdisciplinary problem-solving, excellence in writing, and confidence in self-expression.

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