Top Jesuit Colleges and Universities: A Comprehensive Ranking and Guide

For students drawn to a particular philosophy of education, Jesuit colleges offer a unique blend of intellectual rigor, spiritual growth, and a commitment to social justice. Rooted in the traditions of the Society of Jesus, these institutions strive to educate the whole person, fostering critical thinking, ethical leadership, and a desire to serve others. This article provides a comprehensive overview of some of the best Jesuit colleges and universities, exploring their distinguishing features and highlighting what makes them stand out.

What Defines a Jesuit College?

A Jesuit college is an institution founded and run by members of the Society of Jesus, an apostolic Roman Catholic community. The 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States share a mission to educate students through a focus on spirituality, social justice, and service to a global society. This means that ethics, spirituality, and compassion take center stage in the academic environment.

Jesuit education is rooted in the liberal arts tradition with a focus on quality teaching, critical thinking, and rigorous academic standards and scholarship. Students at Jesuit colleges and universities can expect to receive a rigorous academic education, while also learning skill sets on how to make a positive contribution to society.

Key Characteristics of Jesuit Education

Cura personalis: The Jesuit concept of "care for the whole person" emphasizes the development of students' intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Service and Social Justice: A commitment to serving others and promoting social justice is a hallmark of Jesuit education. Many Jesuit colleges offer immersion trips, community outreach programs, and coursework that explores ethical and social issues.
Critical Thinking: Jesuit education encourages students to think critically, question assumptions, and engage in thoughtful reflection.
Inclusivity: Jesuit colleges welcome students from all religious and faith traditions. While campus ministries are often focused on Christian prayer and community building, Jesuit colleges have made an effort to be welcoming and inclusive when it comes to different cultures and backgrounds.

Top Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the U.S.

Here's a look at some of the top-ranked Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, known for their academic excellence, commitment to Jesuit values, and unique offerings:

1. Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)

Georgetown University is often considered one of the best Jesuit universities and is known for its strong programs in international relations, business, and political science. Located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Georgetown University has an acceptance rate of 12%. As “a forward-looking, diverse community devoted to social justice, restless inquiry and respect for each person’s individual needs and talents,” Georgetown University offers a holistic approach to education. As the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, Georgetown was founded in 1789.

Read also: Academics at Jesuit Universities

2. Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts)

Boston College is known for its strong liberal arts and sciences programs and has notable strengths in business and education. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Boston College is a highly-ranked and well-known Jesuit college with a 19% acceptance rate, offering undergraduates over 60 majors to choose from. As one of the best Jesuit colleges in the US, Boston College seeks to share the fundamental principles of Catholicism to its diverse student body. Boston College, the first institution of higher education to operate in the city of Boston, is today among the nation’s foremost universities, a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation. Boston College was founded in 1863.

3. Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, California)

Santa Clara University has strong programs in business and engineering and benefits from its location in the heart of Silicon Valley. Because Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California, it sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and “blends high-tech innovation with a social consciousness grounded in the Jesuit educational tradition.” In its 2023 list, US News & World Report ranked Santa Clara University as #60, coming in at the top 15% of national universities; in 2024, the university was also ranked #13 for undergraduate teaching. Santa Clara University is ranked No. 2, earning an overall score of 95 out of 100. SCU maintained its No. Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business was one of the 100 Best Business Programs, ranking at No. SCU ranked No. SCU was also ranked No. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara University blends high-tech innovation with a social consciousness grounded in the Jesuit educational tradition. Santa Clara University was founded in 1852.

4. Loyola Marymount University (Los Angeles, California)

Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California, and is the largest Catholic university on the West Coast, with over 7,100 enrolled undergraduate students. For the third year in a row, Loyola Marymount University is No. LMU’s Seaver College of Science and Engineering is tied at No. 13 - up from No. Additionally, LMU is No. A private university, Loyola Marymount University has a 46% acceptance rate and about 150 student organizations, including 15 Greek chapters, providing constant opportunities for students to form new relationships within and across their communities. LMU is a top-ranked national university rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions. Loyola Marymount University was founded in 1911.

5. Fordham University (New York, New York)

Fordham University is located in New York City and takes advantage of its prime location - the city becomes your campus. With an acceptance rate of 58%, Fordham University’s Jesuit history and mission are fundamentally about three ideas: strive for excellence in everything you do, care for others and fight for justice. We’re a Jesuit, Catholic university. Fordham University was founded in 1841.

6. Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington)

Located in Spokane, Washington, Gonzaga University has an acceptance rate of 76% and has been the premier Catholic university of the Inland Northwest since 1887. Gonzaga University was ranked the 4th best regional university in the West for the second year in a row. Gonzaga’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is the 22nd best (tie) engineering program nationwide (among engineering schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s). Gonzaga also ranks No. Gonzaga ranks No. 2 in the West for its average first-year student retention rate of 94 percent and it also ranks No. 2 (tie) in the region for its (2015) graduation rate of 83 percent. Gonzaga’s No. Gonzaga University is home to the Della Strada Jesuit Community, a residence for Jesuits living and working in the Spokane region.

7. Saint Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri)

St. Louis University joins this list of best Jesuit colleges and universities as one of the county’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic universities. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, St. Louis University was founded in 1818.

8. Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

As a larger university, Loyola University Chicago has a total of 11,800 undergraduate students and has a 78% acceptance rate. News & World Report, as #1 for undergraduate teaching in Chicago, #1 undergraduate business program in Chicago, and in the top 5% for undergraduate nursing nationally. Our faculty, staff, and students come from all faiths and backgrounds, but together, we strive toward the same goal, being men and women for and with others. Loyola University Chicago was founded in 1870.

9. Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Marquette University, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a private 4-year university with an acceptance rate of 76% and over 11,000 undergraduate students. News & World Report. Marquette University has a 13:1 student-to- faculty ratio and was founded in 1881.

10. University of San Francisco (San Francisco, California)

In San Francisco, California, the University of San Francisco takes pride in how it reinvents education through their core curriculum and encourages students to become agents of change. USF is a climb up Lone Mountain. USF is the poem you write for an engineering project. USF is small classes with professors who know their stuff and know your name. The University of San Francisco was founded in 1855.

11. Seattle University (Seattle, Washington)

Seattle University was founded in 1891 and is located in Seattle, Washington with over 7,200 students enrolled in its undergraduate and graduate colleges. Seattle University maintained its more than decade-long Top 10 ranking as one of the West’s best regional universities, ranking eighth among 124 western regional universities that offer a full range of undergraduate, master’s, and select doctoral degree programs. The university earned high national marks in other categories, including #31 for best undergraduate engineering programs and #114 in best undergraduate business programs. In the business subspecialties, the undergraduate finance and accounting programs placed in the Top 25 nationally. The student-to-faculty ratio at Seattle University is 11:1 and the average class size consists of 18 students.

Read also: Jesuit Education Strategy Civ VI

12. Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland)

Loyola University Maryland is located in Baltimore, Maryland and is a private university with an acceptance rate of 84% and a total of 3,700 undergraduate students. The school’s Jesuit liberal arts education “calls students to tackle academic challenges head-on, to redefine what’s possible, to understand how it all connects, to think differently, to strive for excellence.” Out of all of the Loyola-named universities, Loyola University Maryland was founded as the first institution in the US to bear St. Loyola University Maryland was founded in 1852.

13. Fairfield University (Fairfield, Connecticut)

Situated in Fairfield, Connecticut, Fairfield University is a private university with an acceptance rate of 56% and over 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled across its five schools. Embracing a “liberal humanistic approach to education” and “encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values,” Fairfield University joins this list of best Jesuit colleges and universities for its emphasis on innovative learning. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. Fairfield is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City. Fairfield University prepares students for success.

14. College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts)

Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the College of the Holy Cross was founded by the Jesuits in 1843 and currently has an acceptance rate of 43%. It is also ranked as one of the country’s leading four-year liberal arts colleges and has a total full-time enrollment of 3,197, providing a tight-knit community for students. At Holy Cross, we overcome. We challenge the status quo.

15. University of Scranton (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the University of Scranton provides a liberal arts education where “spirituality is at the core of [their] mission as a Catholic, Jesuit institution of higher learning.” The university was founded in 1888 and has an acceptance rate of 80%.

16. Rockhurst University (Kansas City, Missouri)

Rockhurst University is located in Kansas City, Missouri and has an acceptance rate of 67%. Founded in 1910, the university “employs the ideals of finding God in all things, reflection and discernment as well as care of the person in all its programs, policies and interactions.” An education at Rockhurst University entails a curriculum based on the classic liberal arts modes of inquiry, which are artistic, historical, literary, philosophical, theological, scientific relational and scientific causal.

17. Canisius College (Buffalo, New York)

As a longstanding Jesuit college, this higher education institution is “proud to inherit a tradition of educational innovation, academic excellence and purpose-driven inquiry that stretches back nearly 500 years.” Canisius College is located in Buffalo, New York and has an acceptance rate of 81%. Founded in 1870, Canisius College has over 100 majors, minors and degree programs with a student-faculty ratio of 11:1. An interesting fact about Canisius College is that its namesake had joined the Society of Jesus in 1543 and was founded in Messina, Italy the first Jesuit school.

18. Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, St. Joseph's University is a Jesuit institution committed to academic excellence and service to others.

19. Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Situated in Cincinnati, Ohio, Xavier University is a private Jesuit university that offers over 90 undergraduate programs and has an acceptance rate of 84%. The university was founded in 1831 and has a success rate of 99%, meaning that 99% of the students who graduate become employed, attend graduate school or work in service positions within six months of graduation.

20. Le Moyne College (Syracuse, New York)

Located in Syracuse, New York, Le Moyne College is a small private college with a total of 2,700 undergraduate students and an acceptance rate of 73%.

21. John Carroll University (University Heights, Ohio)

John Carroll University is a private university located in University Heights, Ohio with an acceptance rate of 88% and a total of 2,600 undergraduate students.

22. Loyola University New Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, Loyola University New Orleans has an acceptance rate of 78% and a total of 3,300 undergraduate students. The university was chartered in 1912 by Jesuit priests and strives to have its students focus on living a life of leadership and service. Grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, Loyola University New Orleans takes inspiration from St.

23. Regis University (Denver, Colorado)

Situated in Denver, Colorado, Regis University is a private Jesuit Catholic university that “seeks to build a more just and humane world through transformative education at the frontiers of faith, reason and culture.” Regis University’s acceptance rate is at 81% and ranks as one of the smaller Jesuit universities, with a total of around 2,700 undergraduate students.

24. Saint Peter’s University (Jersey City, New Jersey)

Saint Peter’s University is a private university situated in Jersey City, New Jersey with an acceptance rate of 93%. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings.

25. Spring Hill College (Mobile, Alabama)

In Mobile, Alabama, Spring Hill College is the state’s oldest institution of higher learning and was founded in 1830.

26. University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit, Michigan)

Joining the list of best Jesuit universities in the nation, the University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university in the Jesuit and Mercy traditions, located in Detroit, Michigan.

Applying to a Jesuit College

Jesuit school officials say they look for motivated, curious students regardless of background. Students from all backgrounds and educations are encouraged to apply. Jesuit schools look for students who are motivated, ready to be challenged, and display a hunger for knowledge, experts say. These attributes are not unusual in today's college applicants, but fit in with the centuries-old tradition Jesuit schools look to uphold.

Jesuit High Schools and Secondary Schools

Many Jesuit high schools and secondary schools have grown into Jesuit colleges or universities, or formed in association with them. These schools provide a strong foundation in Jesuit values and prepare students for higher education.

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