Aquinas College

Overview

Aquinas College is an inclusive educational community rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition. It welcomes students of all faiths in the search for deeper spiritual meaning, in the development of ethical values and in the practice of those beliefs and commitments. Aquinas provides a liberal arts education with a global perspective, emphasizing career preparation focused on leadership and service to others. Aquinas was ranked among the "Best Regional Universities - Midwest" by U.S. News and World Report (2012).

History

Aquinas College had its origins in the Novitiate Normal School begun by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids in 1886 in Traverse City. The Novitiate Normal School was transferred to Grand Rapids in 1911, and it eventually evolved into Aquinas College in 1940.

Programs

Aquinas awards Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees in more than 60 majors, including signature programs in Sustainable Business and Conductive Education. The most popular majors for 2010 graduates were business, management, and marketing and related support services.

Students

Approximately 2,300 students register for undergraduate and graduate programs here each year. The student body is composed of 39% male students and 61% female students. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and 58% of classes have fewer than 20 students. Approximately 47 percent of students live in college-owned, operated or affiliated housing.

Athletics

Aquinas is an NAIA Division II college offering more than 19 varsity sports - the highest total of varsity sports in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC). Every year, more than 300 students participate in over 350 varsity and intercollegiate athletic contests. More than 130 Aquinas student athletes have been honored with NAIA Academic All-American honors.

Location

The Aquinas campus resides on 107 wooded acres just two miles east of downtown Grand Rapids. It is convenient to such cool, trendy urban neighborhoods as East Hills, Eastown, Uptown and Wealthy Street.