Together, the College of Saint Benedict (CSB), for women, and Saint John's University (SJU), for men, form a one-of-a-kind partnership of two top colleges – combining the abundant opportunities of a larger university with the small class sizes and personal attention of an exceptional liberal arts college. The 3,500 undergraduate students attend classes and participate in activities together. Students from both colleges share academic, athletic and dining facilities on both campuses.
The two campuses are set on 3,300 beautiful acres of central Minnesota woods, lakes and prairies – just west of Saint Cloud (150,000 area population) and an hour from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The campuses include 22 miles of hiking and skiing trails, a private beach, and an arboretum.
The colleges offer a deeply engaging, highly residential, educational experience. Nearly all students are full-time, undergraduate and traditional age. With an average class size of 19 and a student/faculty ratio of 12:1, classrooms are challenging and interactive.
Through our global focus, two-thirds of CSB/SJU students study abroad – ranking the colleges among the very top of undergraduate colleges for the number of students completing semester-long international study. CSB/SJU offer 18 semester-long programs on six continents and short-term programs around the world.
CSB/SJU are Catholic Benedictine colleges, founded and enriched by Saint Benedict's Monastery and Saint John’s Abbey. The CSB/SJU experience affirms the harmony of faith and reason, honors the full dignity of each person, and seeks to promote justice and the common good. Students of all faiths are welcome.
