_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
Principia College is a private institution that was founded in 1910. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 503, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 2,600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Principia College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 121. Its tuition and fees are $25,960 (2012-13).
| School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): | |
|
Principia College is a unique college in that it is the only college in the world whose educational mission is to educate students who are Christian Scientists. Its purpose is to "serve the Cause of Christian Science," as stated by its founder Mary Kimball Morgan in her book, Education at The Principia. The mission of the College, as stated in the Catalog, is to provide students who are Christian Scientists with a comprehensive, co-educational academic program of liberal arts and sciences, leading to a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. The College is also committed to academic excellence with a profound focus on every aspect of character education, through the development of the spiritual, intellectual, moral, social, and physical development of each student. In this context, Principia offers its students an international perspective and challenges them to be ethically strong in service to the world community. The college campus contains and is surrounded by vast and diverse natural habitat, including forests, prairies, and the great Mississippi River. Situated on limestone bluffs 200 feet above the River, Principia has developed in its years on the 2600-acre site a harmonious blend of pleasant landscaped ground anchoring a variety of English Tudor buildings designed by renowned California architect Bernard Maybeck that provide functional support to the campus community. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1910 |
| Religious affiliation | Christian Science |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | rural |
| 2011 Endowment | $333,639,272 |
Applying
When applying to Principia College, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due March 1. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 80.4 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 80.4% |
| Application deadline | rolling |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | March 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Principia College is 7:1, and the school has 88.2 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Principia College include: Fine/Studio Arts, General; Sociology and Anthropology; Business Administration and Management, General; and Mass Communication/Media Studies. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 87.0 percent.
Student Life
Principia College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 503, with a gender distribution of 43.5 percent male students and 56.5 percent female students. Principia College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 503 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | N/A |
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | N/A |
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Principia College offers a number of student services including day care, health service, and health insurance. Principia College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Principia College, 54 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Principia College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 54% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Principia College, 51.6 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $23,055.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $25,960 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $10,000 (2012-13) |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2011 data
