Profile

Saint John’s College is a private liberal arts college that traces its origins back to King William’s School, a preparatory school founded in 1696. Despite its name, the college has no religious affiliation. The school has two campuses: one in Annapolis, MD, established in 1784, and in Santa Fe, NM, opened in 1964. The school grants only one bachelor’s degree, in liberal arts, and has two master’s degrees available through its Graduate Institute—in liberal arts and in Eastern classics, the latter of which is only available at the Santa Fe campus. Students enrolled at either campus can transfer to the other for any amount of time. Students are required to take four years of mathematics, language and interdisciplinary study, as well as three years of laboratory sciences, one year of music and two eight-week elective discussions. The Maryland campus is located in the historic district of Annapolis, and its one block from the State Capitol building. Its proximity to U.S. Naval Academy has inspired comparisons between Athens and Sparta. Every year the schools meet on the front lawn of Saint John’s and compete in a croquet match that has been called, “the purest intercollegiate athletic event in America.” Saint John’s has won 27 of the 34 annual matches.