Home
About the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University
Advancing Academic Excellence at CSB+SJU
NAVIGATE
Provost Search
TWO INSTITUTIONS, ONE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are two nationally recognized liberal arts colleges that have operated in partnership for decades. CSB, an institution for women located in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and SJU, an institution for men located six miles away in Collegeville, Minnesota, share a common undergraduate curriculum, a single faculty, and identical degree requirements. Together they enroll approximately 2,860 students—2,659 undergraduates and 201 graduate students—and employ 228 faculty members, ninety percent of whom hold terminal degrees.
The institutions are surrounded by 3,000 acres of forests, prairies, and lakes in central Minnesota, minutes from the St. Cloud metropolitan area and seventy miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. This distinctive environment provides students with both the natural beauty and contemplative space characteristic of Benedictine communities and proximity to urban cultural, internship, and career opportunities.
CSB and SJU produce outstanding student outcomes, regularly ranking among the top liberal arts colleges nationally. They are recognized as the top two colleges in Minnesota for securing jobs after graduation, are national leaders among baccalaureate institutions for study abroad participation, have been honored as top producers of Fulbright scholars, and maintain nongovernmental observer status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Students benefit from more than 65 clubs and organizations, competitive NCAA Division III athletic programs in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and rich spiritual and cultural programming rooted in the institutions’ Catholic and Benedictine traditions.
CATHOLIC AND BENEDICTINE IDENTITY
CSB and SJU are Catholic and Benedictine residential liberal arts colleges founded and enriched by Saint Benedict’s Monastery and Saint John’s Abbey. The academic communities at both institutions are dedicated to the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical formation of all members and to academic excellence in the search for truth. The founding and ongoing inspiration of the institutions is the Catholic intellectual tradition in the context of Benedictine values and spirituality.
The Catholic identity of these schools extends beyond religious sponsorship to encompass thoroughgoing engagement with the ideas and traditions of Catholic culture and thought. The intellectual life of the campuses affirms the harmony of faith and reason, honors the full dignity of each person, and seeks to promote justice and the common good. The Benedictine character emphasizes community, hospitality, stewardship, respect for persons, and the integration of prayer and work that creates balance and wholeness in life.
As single-sex undergraduate institutions, CSB and SJU each maintain particular attention to holistic gender development within their respective missions. CSB’s mission focuses on providing women the best undergraduate residential liberal arts education and fostering exceptional leadership for change. SJU’s College of Arts and Sciences prepares young men to reach their full potential and lead lives of significance and principled achievement. SJU’s School of Theology and Seminary educates women and men for ordained and lay ministry in the Catholic and Benedictine tradition.
In addition, CSB is home to nationally recognized graduate nursing programs, including Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees. These programs build on CSB’s liberal arts foundation and Benedictine values, preparing advanced practice nurses and nurse educators who integrate clinical excellence, ethical leadership, and compassionate care in service to their communities.
STRONG INTEGRATION: A NEW MODEL OF COLLABORATION
In 2021, after decades of operating under a coordinate relationship, CSB and SJU adopted a groundbreaking new governance and leadership model known as Strong Integration. This transformation brought the institutions under unified leadership for the first time, with Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D., becoming the inaugural president of both institutions in July 2022. Under Strong Integration, CSB and SJU operate with a single president, an integrated leadership team, and unified administrative functions— while maintaining two legally distinct governing boards composed of the same trustees. This distinctive structure allows both institutions to honor their individual identities and corporate responsibilities while advancing a shared mission through collaborative governance and strategic alignment.
This innovative structure has allowed the institutions to develop more coherent strategic direction, achieve greater operational efficiency, make decisions with enhanced agility, and build a unified brand identity—all while preserving the distinctive single-sex missions and campus identities that make each institution special. The move to Strong Integration positions CSB and SJU to navigate the challenges facing residential liberal arts education with greater strength and sustainability than either could achieve alone.
FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND STABILITY
CSB and SJU maintain strong financial foundations, as evidenced by their U.S. Department of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score of 3.0— the highest possible rating. CSB’s operating budget is approximately $52 million with an endowment of $162 million; SJU’s combined operating budget across three divisions (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Theology, and Artist in Residence) totals approximately $60 million with an endowment of $342 million.
Both institutions have demonstrated consistent financial discipline, effectively managing enrollment-related operating shortfalls through the prudent use of stewarded reserve funds, containing costs while continuing to invest strategically in key institutional priorities. Primary revenue sources include net tuition and fees (approximately 60% of budget), endowment and annual fund support (26%), and auxiliary operations (11%). Both maintain manageable debt levels. The move to Strong Integration has generated additional efficiencies and cost savings while positioning the institutions for greater long-term sustainability.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION: MOVING FORWARD, TOGETHER
CSB+SJU’s current strategic plan, launched in 2023, is a rolling plan updated annually around three core directions: Mission Centered Practice, Financial and Operational Excellence, and The Student Experience. The plan emphasizes leveraging Benedictine wisdom and Catholic traditions to create inclusive, welcoming communities that empower students to solve society’s most urgent problems; achieving sustainable balance between revenues and expenses through operational excellence and strategic resource allocation; and providing exceptional residential liberal arts education combined with compelling co-curricular experiences that prepare graduates to transform a world in need.
Central to this strategic direction is the True North Journey, a signature four-year experience that scaffolds academic advising, career development, and mentorship intentionally from day one. Every student receives personalized support from a True North Team including a Career Navigator, Academic Navigator, and Network Navigator who help connect purpose to real-world action. This Purpose-Driven Promise ensures graduates are prepared for tomorrow’s workforce through integrated learning environments, meaningful experiential opportunities, and outcomes-focused development grounded in CSB+SJU’s foundational values.
ACCREDITATION AND ACADEMIC QUALITY
Both CSB and SJU are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which has reaffirmed both institutions’ accreditation for ten-year periods extending through 2027-2028. This accreditation reflects sustained commitment to academic quality, continuous improvement, and mission fulfillment across all programs and services.