Christendom College has been providing one of the most rigorous, Catholic liberal arts educations in the nation for the past 45 years. In complete faithfulness to the Magisterium, the college has been giving its students the opportunity to learn the Truth, live the Faith, and thrive as Catholics. They are being given the education and the tools they need to become leaders in society, as they work to fulfill the college’s mission of “restoring all things in Christ.”
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Not everyone is capable of performing this noble task. Some choose to take the wide road to mediocrity and sit out the battle. Christendom students choose to live lives of heroism and virtue, and to be faithful to the Catholic Church.
Differentiating Aspects of a Christendom College education:
- Christendom offers the time-tested Catholic liberal arts,
- taught from a Catholic worldview by Catholic professors – all of whom take an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium
- in an authentic Catholic cultural environment on a humane scale
- for the purpose of restoring the culture – making other Christendoms!
Christendom’s reputation for academic excellence, personalized attention, commitment to student success, and its extra-curricular offerings make it a leader among Catholic colleges today. According to the Newman Guide, which recommends only 15 residential U.S. Catholic colleges, Christendom “sets a standard for fidelity and traditional education against which other Catholic liberal arts colleges are measured…The two words that best describe Christendom College are Catholic and traditional, in the very best sense of both words…On the key measures of Catholic identity and liberal arts education, few American colleges can compare.”
Although there are a number of good Catholic colleges and universities from which to choose, here are some things to think about when discerning if Christendom College is right for you.
1. Christendom’s academic program offers excellence, rigor, and personal attention.
- Christendom’s faculty inspire excellence, with over 85% of them holding a terminal degree in their field.
- The average class has 18-22 students, and all classes are taught by professors, never Teacher Assistants (TAs).
- The average SAT score of the incoming class each fall is around 1260.
- Professors spend quality time with students outside of class, particularly during weekly office hours.
- The program’s core curriculum and emphasis on reading and writing is second to none – and is the key to the success of the alumni.
- All courses are taught from a distinctly Catholic worldview.
- Faculty serve as mentors and friends, and are invested in the lives of their students.
- All faculty, in all disciplines, make an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
- Career Prep courses are integrated into the core curriculum, ensuring that all students are well-prepared for success upon graduation.
2. Christendom is a smaller school, but at the same time, it offers lots of opportunities to expand and broaden your horizons.
- Many opportunities to gain important leadership skills and do internships.
- Many athletic, musical, performance, and outreach opportunities are available–with more than 100 official events taking place on campus each academic year.
- Students can spend a semester abroad, studying in Rome, or three weeks in the summer in Ireland.
- There are a variety of clubs and activities to keep everyone busy.
- Many students go on a Spring Break mission trip.
- Many of today’s top speakers give students the opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons.
3. Christendom is committed to giving its students a personalized educational experience to help them succeed in all their pursuits.
- Personalized Academic Resources to help students cultivate good study habits and succeed academically.
- Individualized career counseling to encourage student success post-graduation, as well as required career development classes as part of the core curriculum. (98.9% of the Class of 2022 was employed or in grad school within 6 months of their graduation)
- GRE test preparation provided on campus for free, with the college reimbursing students who take the GRE.
- Students have easy access to college administration – able to provide important feedback to improve their experience.
- According to a Summer 2023 survey of current students, 91% of them would re-enroll and 95% were satisfied with their education.
- Dedicated to forming the whole person: intellectually, spiritually, morally, and socially.
4. Christendom’s education prepares its students for life and the pursuit of happiness.
- Christendom does not train students for this or that job, but rather, educates them with the tools they need to do well in every job and all aspects of life.
- Employers are looking for employees who can think critically, organize their thoughts, communicate well, and be innovative in their ideas – Christendom students can do all of these things well.
- Life is not just about getting a job – it is about growing as an adult, finding your vocation to whatever God is calling you to, and ultimately, getting to Heaven (96+% of alumni are practicing Catholics).
- Christendom’s education focuses on the highest things and enables its students to be successful in whatever job they end up doing, but also to be successful in their personal lives as well.
- Christendom has a robust career development initiative to help with graduate school and career path discernment.
- There are two reverently celebrated daily Masses (offered both in English and Latin), two hours of daily confession, daily adoration and First Friday all-night adoration, spiritual counseling, rosary, evening prayer, and much more – all offered by resident priests.
5. A Christendom education is affordable.
- The college offers academic scholarships based on standardized test scores, as well as need-based grants and loans.
- On-campus employment opportunities, with many opportunities for work in the neighboring area.
- Full-tuition scholarship competition each year, awarding three winners and five runners-up.
- 98% of students receive need-based and/or merit-based aid.
- On average, after financial aid and scholarships, students pay around $24,000 per year total.
- Average Christendom family is a single-income household with 6.3 kids.
In summary, Christendom is located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, about an hour and a half west of Washington, DC. It offers a rigorous liberal arts education, taught with a Catholic worldview, in an environment that will aid students in their pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Founded in 1977 for the purpose of forming lay apostles who will go into society to “restore all things in Christ,” Christendom is highly recommended by many in the Church’s hierarchy as well as by many prominent Catholic writers, politicians, and business leaders. It is ranked as one of the top 10 most Conservative Colleges in the nation by the Young America’s Foundation, as well as one of the most radical colleges in the nation, according to the Huffington Post. It is ranked as a best value and best buy by Barron’s and Kiplinger’s magazines, while Peterson’s ranks it as one of the 440 colleges for top students.