Saint Leo University:
A Leading Catholic Teaching University of International Consequence
Value and Affordability
Consumers Digest ranked Saint Leo University as one of the nation’s top five best values of private colleges and universities. Our 2009-2010 undergraduate tuition of $16,996 is also among the lowest of private universities nationally, and 96 percent of incoming freshmen receive financial aid.
Personalized and Innovative Teaching
SLU is listed among “Colleges of Distinction,' a unique quality measure from independent reviewers who base their assessment on: the students’ level of engagement, the quality of teaching, the vibrancy of the college community, and successful outcomes for students. Our academic culture is a strong factor in this distinction. An average size class at Saint Leo is only 18 to 20 students, and consequently, students get to know their teachers and classmates. Our faculty create unique travel-study courses that bring students to the geographic and cultural locations central to their coursework, in disciplines ranging from fine arts and literature to business. Our rich academic resources include free tutoring services and membership opportunities in honor societies across a wide variety of subject disciplines.
Catholic Heritage and Identity
Saint Leo, founded in 1889, is the oldest Catholic college in Florida, and encourages students to continue their spiritual development. As part of our caring Catholic culture, we welcome people of all faiths and those with no religious affiliation.
Diverse Student Body
Our students live and study with counterparts from many different backgrounds and cultures, from a variety of states and countries, and they are enriched by the experience. The publication Diverse Issues in Higher Education found Saint Leo University to be in the top 100 institutions producing minority graduates.
Online Expertise
We are an acknowledged, regionally accredited leader in the field of online education with academically rigorous courses, and we continue to bring more courses and degree programs online each year. Our students are supported by the online holdings of Cannon Memorial Library, which provides access to more than 58,000 online books and numerous reference materials, both general works and specialized subject matter important for degree programs in business, education, criminal justice, and religion.
Military Education
Saint Leo has proudly served members of the armed forces and veterans with opportunities for higher education for more than 35 years. We are ranked among the nation’s most military-friendly institutions by G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education magazines. We teach on military bases in seven states, as well as in civilian locations and online, and are enthusiastic supporters of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. We provide distance-learning opportunities for Navy service members as a Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership School.
Community Service
Our students, faculty, and staff subscribe to a culture of service and volunteerism and look for opportunities to support service projects: some are near our teaching locations, others are hundreds of miles from our campuses, and some are abroad. In any given year, our work includes alternative spring-break mission trips to communities in need, plus a variety of other initiatives. They are apt to include book drives for soldiers abroad, collections of school supplies for children, food drives, and volunteer labor for homelessness projects. Saint Leo has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll each year since its inception in 2006.