Search the Community

Benedictine University is an inclusive academic community dedicated to teaching and learning, scholarship and service, truth and justice, as inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the social teaching of the Church, and the principles of wisdom in the Rule of St. Benedict. Benedictine University aspires to be a thought leader in Catholic higher education. We seek to provide a transformative and integrative educational experience grounded in Benedictine values, helping students shape lives of meaning and purpose as engaged citizens who care for the earth, welcome people of diverse faiths and cultures, and promote the common good. Benedictine University has rolling admissions and does not have a deadline for accepting new applications for the fall semester. We encourage traditional undergraduate students to apply within the first semester of their senior year of high school. The application review process takes approximately one week. Once your completed application has been received and reviewed, an admissions counselor will personally contact you by phone with your admission status. Prospective first-year students should accept admission and pay the tuition deposit no later than May 1 to secure their spot for the incoming freshman class. If students do not meet minimum admission requirements, they are encouraged to submit a minimum one-page personal statement. The topic of this personal statement is, "What are your academic strengths, and how will they help you at Benedictine?". The personal statement is meant to be a reflection of past academic coursework and your writing ability. You must provide all relevant information about your academic performance and high school experience. The Admission Committee meets weekly to review applications for prospective students who do not meet the minimum admission requirements. The Admission Committee looks for well-rounded students who will be successful and contribute to the Benedictine University community. If you have any specific questions about admission requirements, your statement, or the Admission Committee, please contact your Admissions Counselor. Benedictine's broad-based liberal arts program creates well-rounded students because the University believes that even if students pursue a science career, they should read, write, and speak well. Our graduates are CEOs, Ivy League professors, scientists, high school educators, and pioneers in solving global issues. Benedictine teachers are committed and accomplished. Our faculty know you by your first name in our friendly environment, where the average class size is 17 students. Faculty frequently are honored with grants, fellowships, and awards. Academic advisors and career counselors help students develop academic plans, discuss internship opportunities, and explore career possibilities. Benedictine University's mission and vision reflect its Catholic and Benedictine identity, providing continuity with the past and future direction. In 1887 the monks of St. Procopius Abbey founded Benedictine University. They have been active sponsors of the institution throughout its history, first as St. Procopius College, later as Illinois Benedictine College, and today as Benedictine University. The monks base their lives on the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the sixth century. They share the Benedictine charism with all who embrace the University's Catholic and Benedictine mission. We are Catholic. All are welcome. Benedictine University seeks employees who understand and contribute to the University's mission and vision. Inspired by our Catholic Benedictine mission and identity, our academic community is committed to inclusion. As an institution, we express our commitment to our identity as a Catholic and Benedictine institution through our values manifested throughout the University. As such, all employees are expected to support the University's Catholic Benedictine mission and identity and contribute to its distinctive intellectual life to help each student, and each other thrive academically, professionally, and personally in our religiously and culturally diverse academic community. The University's policy on HIV reflects the University's mission, character, and commitment, particularly as these statements pertain to individuals' human dignity. Therefore, the University does not discriminate against individuals diagnosed as HIV positive or as having AIDS. An applicant or employee must perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is defined as a suggested change or adjustment to a job or work environment (subject to the limits in applicable law) that permits a qualified job applicant or employee with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job or to enjoy benefits and privileges of employment equal to employees without disabilities. Benedictine University was founded by the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius Abbey in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago in 1887. The Benedictine Order bears St. Benedict, born in 480, who is acknowledged as the father of western monasticism. In 528, he established the famed monastery of Monte Cassino. The first building on the Lisle campus was dedicated in September 1901. That building was expanded into the 1920s, with new buildings added in 1950. The University was initially founded to educate men of Czech and Slovak descent, and in the early years, most of the students were from those ethnic groups. The University became coeducational in 1968. Today, undergraduate enrollment has grown to more than 3,300, and total enrollment is nearly 10,000. The University offers 56 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs. Most Benedictine students are from the Chicago area and Illinois, although 50 states and more than 15 foreign countries are represented. View full university

Benedictine College is an academic community sponsored by the monks of St. Benedict's Abbey and the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. Heir to the 1500 years of Benedictine dedication to learning, Benedictine College, in its own time, is ordered to the goal of wisdom lived out in responsible awareness of oneself, God and nature, family, and society. Its mission as a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship. As a Catholic college, Benedictine College is committed to those beliefs and natural principles that form the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and it is committed further to those specific matters of faith of the Roman Catholic tradition, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and handed down in the teachings of the Church. The college embraces students and faculty from all faiths who accept its goals, seeking its members a personal commitment to the ideals and principles of spiritual life and the expression of these in worship and action. Benedictine College promotes the growing involvement of religious and laity in the Church's ministries. As a college founded on the Benedictine tradition, Benedictine College inherits the themes handed on to us by the Benedictine family: peace, the balance of activity and contemplation, and the glorification of God in all undertakings. With the idea of an everyday life vitalized by the spirit of St. Benedict, the members of the Benedictine College community can share work and prayer in joint, faithful participation in the life of the community, attentive openness to the Word of God, deep concern for issues of justice and peace, and the pursuit of moderation, hospitality, and care for the gifts of creation. As a liberal arts college, Benedictine College is dedicated to providing a liberal arts education using academic programs based on a core of studies in the arts and sciences. Through these programs, the college guides students to refine their capacity to pursue and acquire truth, appreciate the significant achievements in thought and culture, and understand the principles that sound theoretical and practical judgment require. The college also provides education for careers through both professional courses of study and significant programs in the liberal arts and sciences. As an essential element in its educational mission, Benedictine College fosters scholarship, independent research, and performance in its students and faculty to contribute to the broader world of learning. As a residential college, Benedictine College supports and encourages its students' full development through a community life that expresses and proclaims the worth and dignity of each individual. In a caring and supportive atmosphere, students help develop a sense of meaningful purpose in life. They are encouraged to participate in programs that promote sound bodies, emotional balance, and dedication to others' welfare. Building an outstanding Catholic college requires a community-wide commitment to excellence. We dedicate ourselves to educating students to become leaders in the Benedictine tradition, who will transform the world through their commitment to intellectual, personal, and spiritual greatness. Intellectually, we achieve this with an academic environment where all students are challenged to reach their fullest potential through close collaboration with faculty and peers. Through a broadly-based liberal arts education, students are trained to view the world from various academic perspectives and use the tools of several disciplines to understand, analyze, and solve problems. At Benedictine, America's Discovery College, students experience the power of collaboration and the joy of discovery, and learn to communicate, effectively, and persuasively. We encourage them to form the habit of life-long learning and expect them to apply well-developed ethical standards in every aspect of their lives. Personally, through immersion in a dynamic residential community, students are challenged to grow in character, in their relationships, and as leaders. They become equipped with the skills to nurture and develop the bonds of the community. As business leaders, professionals, teachers, citizens, neighbors, and parents, our alumni will have learned to see others as God sees them—to appreciate every human being's unique value and infinite worth. They will have been formed to cherish others' welfare, loyalty to their communities and families, and an absolute dedication to personal integrity. Spiritually, students grow in an atmosphere that values faith in Jesus Christ. As a Catholic institution, we are dedicated to "the ardent search for truth and its unselfish transmission … to act rightly and to serve humanity better." [Ex Corde Ecclessiae] Because of this dedication, we welcome and support students of all faiths and encourage them in their quest to grow closer to God. We share the beauty and mystery of the Catholic faith with all community members, while we respect the essential freedom that is key to a mature faith. All students are challenged to put their faith into action. These commitments are fostered within the framework of the Benedictine charism. The college community seeks to follow the example of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica, in word and deed, finding guidance for daily living in Holy Scripture and the Rule of St. Benedict. This calls us all to live united by our search for truth, zealous in fostering, recognizing each person's dignity, and committed to a balanced way of life. Through this framework, students are prepared to live a life of service, leading with true humility. Our distinctively Benedictine approach to education culminates in graduates committed to living their lives "so that in all things, God may be glorified." [Rule of St. Benedict] Benedictine College accepts applications all year. Students should apply as early as possible. It may take more than a month to process a student visa application. Suggested application deadlines are April 1 for August admission and October 1 for January admission. An academically rigorous form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs, together with structured opportunities for reflection designed to achieve and assess desired learning outcomes. View full university

Mount Michael Benedictine School is a Catholic, college-preparatory residential & day high school. At Mount Michael, the core of the academic program enables students to become inquiring learners, appreciative of their heritage, responsive, and committed to the future's challenges. At Mount Michael, the monks, lay faculty, and staff instill the value of moral leadership so that they may live in harmony with each other, their families, and the community at large. At Mount Michael, the search for God is fundamental to understanding the meaning of life. Christian charity is grounded in our relationships with ourselves, our families, and all whom we meet. As gifts of God, individual talents are to be developed fully and shared generously. Mount Michael Benedictine School is a Catholic college preparatory residential/day high school rooted in Benedictine values for young men committed to excellence. Students develop spiritually, intellectually, and socially through the comprehensive curriculum and communal experience to become future leaders. At Mount Michael, we pride ourselves on being one of the top college preparatory schools in the Nation. Our tradition is rooted in the five Benedictine values: Community, Hospitality, Integrity, Service, and Moderation. Using these values as a guide, our students mature into young men who approach all aspects of life enthusiastically and with an open mind. The comprehensive curriculum and communal class experiences at Mount Michael provide our students with the tools to excel intellectually, socially, and spiritually at the next level. Mount Michael Benedictine School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origins to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at Mount Michael Benedictine School. It does not discriminate based on race, color, national and ethnic origin in administering its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan program, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Mount Michael's college-prep education is designed to challenge and strengthen each student's academic skills in preparation for college. Ultimately, it is our goal to enable every student to reach his educational and career potential. Mount Michael's faculty and staff provide a rich learning environment that emphasizes the value of quality scholarship and challenges each student to reach the next level. Due to the strong academic potential of the student body, young men are challenged by their peers and their teachers. In meeting the demands of quality academic work, students at Mount Michael develop valuable time management and study skills. While at Mount Michael, students not only learn how to learn but also become well-rounded individuals. We believe growth in one's Faith and involvement in extracurricular activities play essential roles in young men's development. The Mount Michael community takes great pride in our students' accomplishments inside and outside of the classroom. At Mount Michael, students receive an unsurpassed educational experience with a curriculum that ranks among the best in the Nation. Mount Michael students genuinely appreciate the opportunities they are given and help one another grow into young men who are ready not only for college but for life. View full school