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Undergraduate Academic and Instructional Profile

Student Academic Profile

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University together offer 37 major and 34 minor programs of study. For the graduating class of 2011, the five largest programs of study at CSB/SJU were Management, Biology, Psychology, Communication and Accounting. Those five programs collectively represented approximately 47% of all majors at the two institutions. There are, however, significant differences by gender. Saint John's students are more than twice as likely as Saint Benedict students to major in Management or Accounting and are more likely to major in a science or math field (excluding health sciences). CSB students are significantly more likely than SJU students to major in a health science discipline, Elementary Education, Psychology, or Communication. In general, women and men attending CSB and SJU make academic choices similar to their female and male peers at other private colleges in Minnesota.

Persistence and Completion

First to second year retention rates at both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University have consistently approached or exceeded 90% since the mid-1990s. In fall 2011, more than 90% of the 2010 new entering class returned for their second year at both institutions. Retention rates at CSB and SJU significantly exceed both local and national averages for private and public colleges. Completion rates have risen as retention rates have improved. CSB and SJU significantly exceed averages for private and public colleges regionally and nationally. The average four-year completion rate for College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University's 2007 cohort was 73%; the average among the Minnesota private colleges is 63%.

In 2010-2011, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University awarded 929 baccalaureate degrees. Together, CSB and SJU conferred nearly 11% of all baccalaureate degrees awarded by Minnesota's private colleges.

Study Abroad

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are ranked first nationally by the Institute for International Education in mid-length study abroad participation. Over 370 students studied abroad on one of the 16 faculty-led semester-long trips last year (2010-2011). In all, 60% of the 2006 cohort at CSB and 46% of the 2006 cohort at SJU studied abroad.

Instruction and Faculty Profile

Student-to-faculty ratios at CSB/SJU consistently have averaged between 12 - to - 1 and 13 - to - 1 for the past five years, and remained at 12.5 - to - 1 in fall 2011. The median class size for all 2 and 4 credit courses was 19.8. Overall median class size has changed little in the last five years. More than 90% of all courses enroll 30 students or fewer. In fall 2011, approximately a 15% of all 2 and 4 credit courses at Saint Benedict and Saint John's enrolled 10 or fewer students.

There were 377 faculty members teaching at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in fall 2011. Approximately 85% of all faculty members are full-time, slightly higher than the averages among our peer and aspirant institutions (75% and 80% respectively in fall 2011). Approximately 37% of faculty were under age 45 and 9% were older than age 64. Eighty-one percent of all full-time faculty at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are tenured or in tenure-track positions as of the 2011-2012 academic year.

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