The Purpose of Principia College is to serve the Cause of Christian Science (Education at The Principia, page 227). The mission of Principia College is to provide students of Christian Science with a comprehensive, co-educational program of liberal arts and sciences. The college is committed to academic excellence and character education. It is also dedicated to the spiritual, intellectual, moral, social, and athletic 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.
CollapseThe Principia is an educational institution for Christian Scientists, located on two campuses in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Facilities for early childhood through high school are located at The Principia School in West St. Louis County. Located about thirty miles away, on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Elsah, Illinois, is Principia College.
Founded by Mary Kimball Morgan, The Principia School was officially opened in 1898 in St. Louis. By 1906, The Principia had graduated its first high school class. In 1912, the Junior College was added, and became one of the first such colleges in the nation. The college moved to Elsah, Illinois in 1935, and the school later moved to its current location in the St. Louis suburb of Town and Country, Missouri.
Principia College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River between Alton and Grafton, located about thirty miles north of St. Louis. In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full four-year institution. Emerging from the Principia Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools founded between 1898 and 1906, Principia College was established with a mission to "serve the cause of Christian Science." The college, however, has no official affiliation with the Christian Science church, nor does The First Church of Christ, Scientist, the denominational governing body, recognize or approve any school or college claiming to serve such a cause.
The student population is 490. There are ten student dormitories on campus: Anderson House, Rackham Court, Howard House, Sylvester House, Buck House, Brooks House, Ferguson House, Jo McNabb, Lowrey House, and Clara McNabb. The first six mentioned were designed by architect Bernard Maybeck in 1935, as was the campus' chapel. Maybeck attempted to use different architectural styles and building techniques for each of these dormitories and for the chapel. In an effort to ensure success with his designs and materials, he experimented with them through the creation of a small building known affectionately by Principians as the "Mistake House."
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| Percent of Students International: | 13% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 107% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) Basketball (St. Louis Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Baseball (St. Louis Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Track (St. Louis Intercollegiate Ath Conf) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 22,080 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 21,780 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 300 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 16,010 | 88% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,043 | 46% | |
Any Aid: |
92% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 92% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 86% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 510, Math: 490 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 640, Math: 630 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 30% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 22, Verbal: 22, Math: 23 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 29, Verbal: 29, Math: 28 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Recommended |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |