St. Leo University

School mission (as provided by the school):

Saint Leo University was founded in 1889 and is now recognized as one of the nation's leading Catholic teaching universities and a school of international consequence. Our main campus in Saint Leo, Florida--35 minutes north of Tampa--is home to our vibrant University College, serving the education needs of more than 1,850 traditional-age undergraduate students. The university also offers a variety of dynamic graduate programs; a weekend and evening program for working adults; both undergraduate and graduate degree programs through 17 education centers in six states and through our Center for Online Learning, which houses the university's cutting-edge online degree programs.

Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best universities of the South Region, Saint Leo is a place where outstanding teaching and active learning go hand in hand. Caring and capable faculty provide our students with knowledge, guidance, academic support, and a broad range of learning opportunities--both in and outside the classroom. Small classes allow faculty to give each student personal attention. A recent nation-wide survey on student engagement confirms that Saint Leo University students rate their interaction with faculty significantly higher than do students at other similar universities. And our students tell us they love the university's active teaching-learning model because it enables them to collaborate on assignments, discuss readings, and participate in research projects outside the classroom. Not many universities can boast, as we can, that their undergraduate students are encouraged to present their work at national, academic and professional conferences.

Many of our alumni tell us that their bonds with faculty have remained strong over the years. They say the mentoring, coaching, and other outside-the-classroom interactions with faculty helped them achieve much more than they ever thought possible. They report that they learned not just how to succeed in the classroom, but also in life. As students they were encouraged to be well-rounded: to learn, to think for themselves, to be active participants, and to give back to their communities. In a recent student survey, 97 percent of Saint Leo graduates reported that they would recommend the university to friends.

Saint Leo University is a place where values are more than just words on a wall. Respect, integrity, personal development, responsible stewardship, community, and excellence are part of the daily fabric of life on our main campus and throughout the university system. Our values derive from our Benedictine traditions and from our commitment to make our students love the person they will become. These values are what make Saint Leo students and its graduates special.