Welcome to College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University
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Welcome to the College of Saint Benedict! You're standing in front of our historic Main Building, a cornerstone of our campus since its early days.
The College of Saint Benedict was founded in 1913 by the Sisters of Saint Benedict's Monastery to provide women with a transformative college education that fosters integrated learning, leadership, and wisdom for a lifetime. If you become a Bennie, you'll be part of a close-knit, supportive community that's closely connected with Saint John's University. This partnership gives you the chance to experience student life across two campuses—making friends, taking classes together, and enjoying the best of both worlds. It's a small college feel with the variety and resources of a collaboration that's truly one-of-a-kind, and available only here.
In case this is your first visit, here are some tips to help you get started:
-To jump to the next destination, select the "Next" button on the right side of your screen.
-Or, if you already know where you want to go, simply select that location from the list on the sidebar OR directly on the map below.
-And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location.
CSB: Admission
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Take a look around at the Admission Welcome Center in Schoenecker Commons at Saint Ben's. This and the Admission Welcome Center in the Quad at Saint John's will serve as your starting points when you're ready to tour our campuses in person.
Your individual visit will cover both campuses and include time with one of our Admission Counselors. You could meet with a professor or coach, or sit in on a class. Special campus visit events like Fall Saturday Visit Days or STEM & Health Science Day offer extra access. Or sign up for one of our accepted student Fly-In Weekends and we'll help pay for your flight!
Learn more about all your options and get scheduled at csbsju.edu/visit.
CSB: Athletics
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We're at the Saint Ben's Athletics Complex, where our varsity softball, soccer and lacrosse teams compete. Some of our club and intramural teams play here as well. We're proud of the exceptional places our teams play – in fact, the softball stadium was recently ranked the NFCA Field of the Year in Division III for its grounds maintenance and exceptional playing surface.
As a Bennie or a Johnnie, you'll have access to multiple fields, pools, gyms, field houses and exercise rooms. With two campuses, you'll find double the facilities – and each campus features a staff dedicated to helping keep you healthy and active.
CSB: Academics
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As impressive as our classroom learning is, it's outside the classroom – in high-impact "experiential learning" – where Saint Ben's and Saint John's truly shine. 100% of Bennies and Johnnies will take on a major experiential learning component like an internship, service learning or studying abroad – where we're consistently among the nation's leaders.
Each year, hundreds of Bennies and Johnnies will do significant undergraduate research – much of it right here in the Henrita Academic Building or Ardolf Science Center at Saint Ben's. You could spend your summer in a paid research position. In fact, our commitment to undergraduate research has earned us the Council on Undergraduate Research's prestigious AURA award!
CSB: Benedicta Arts Center
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Here in the Benedicta Arts Center at Saint Ben's, as well as in the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater and Music Hall at Saint John's, Bennies and Johnnies find venues and opportunities to practice and perform.
We offer music and fine arts scholarships to talented students, whether you are majoring or minoring in them or not. We invite you to take classes in art, dance, music or theater. Enjoy private music lessons. Tour nationally or internationally with our concert bands, jazz band, string orchestra or choirs. Get involved in every aspect of our theater productions – acting, creating costumes, applying makeup or designing sets.
CSB: Library
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This is the Clemens Library at Saint Ben's. Along with Alcuin Library at Saint John's, Bennies and Johnnies have access to TWO college libraries! Both libraries are also home to key support offices, facilities and resources designed to help you succeed.
And students definitely succeed here. For multiple years, Saint John's and Saint Ben's have been ranked among the top schools in Minnesota for getting a job. And 90% of our graduates earn their degree in four years or less. That's important because graduating sooner can mean starting your successful career and earning more quickly.
CSB: Residence Life
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This is Mary Commons – the hub that connects all first-year residence halls at Saint Ben's. Research shows students living on campus – with easy access to resources – are happier, healthier, more involved and more academically successful. That's why nearly all Bennies and Johnnies live on campus all four years: in housing that grows with you, from traditional two-person residence hall rooms in your first year to clustered communities of apartment-style townhomes as a senior. Your time on campus builds lifelong friendships, mutual respect, personal responsibility and inclusivity– because campus living is safe, convenient and supported with staff, programming and traditions designed to help you develop as a socially conscious, collaborative leader.
CSB: Student Life
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This is the Sisters of Saint Benedict's Sacred Heart Chapel. It reminds us that, when it comes to learning and living together in community, Saint Ben's and Saint John's have an unfair advantage. The Benedictine monks and sisters who founded our schools have been showing us how for over 1,500 years.
Students of all backgrounds here find the Benedictine spirit at the core of who we are. That means students of any faith or no faith will find opportunities to develop an engaged spiritual life. Benedictine values like hospitality, respect for all people, stewardship and listening cover these campuses and guide you in your days here and beyond.
CSB: Multicultural Center
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In this community built on welcoming, Benedictine hospitality, the Multicultural Center is a place that celebrates our campus diversity through programming, leadership development, mentorship and support. Each year, roughly a third of our incoming classes are first-generation college students – the Multicultural Center is home to our active and engaged First-Generation Organization. Each year a new cohort of students earns our Intercultural Leadership, Education and Development fellowship – those cohorts meet here as well. International students who choose Saint Ben's and Saint John's find a comfortable place to gather in the Multicultural Center. Students of color, LGBTQ+ students … everyone finds support, guidance and friendship here.
CSB: Gorecki Center
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Bennies and Johnnies have so many great dining options! Here in the Gorecki Dining Room at Saint Ben's we have a little bit of everything: Mongolian Grill, international fare, home cooking, salad bar, pasta, or pizza. CSB's McGlynn's provides a variety of menu options including: burgers, fries, homemade soups, sub sandwiches, and offers grab and go options. At Saint John's we have the Refectory, offering buffet-style, all-you-care-to-eat meals daily, including our famous Saint John's bread. If you don't have time for that many options, swing by Sexton Commons for a quick meal, snack or our student fav: the burrito bar!
CSB: St. Joseph
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This is St. Joseph – home of the College of Saint Benedict. It's a walkable world of small-town Minnesota energy, filled with everything from boutique shopping to an award-winning brewery. And it's been ranked the safest college town in Minnesota. When students need to get away and get off campus, you can always find a cup of coffee, a great sub sandwich or some amazing ice cream.
Big-box stores and plenty of restaurant and shopping options are just 15 minutes down the road. And we're only about an hour by interstate away from all the opportunities of the Twin City metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
SJU: Welcome
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Welcome to Saint John's University! You're now on Saint John's campus, in front of the Abbey and University Church—one of 10 buildings designed by renowned architect Marcel Breuer. His bold, brutalist style also shapes the nearby Alcuin Library and Peter Engel Science Building, giving our campus a unique and recognizable vibe.
Saint John's was founded by the Benedictine monks in 1857, with a mission to help young men achieve their full potential and lead meaningful lives. Today, that mission is enhanced by our close connection with the College of Saint Benedict. Through this partnership, students share academic programs, campus life, and resources, creating a collaborative and expansive college experience.
SJU: Student Beach
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A Beautiful Lake Sagatagan at Saint John's is home to the CSB and SJU crew clubs and a great place for students – with a student beach and swim raft. And while we can't guarantee year-round swimming at the lake – this IS Minnesota – have you considered ice fishing?
At Saint Ben's and Saint John's, there's always more to explore. With a combined 3,300 acres, seven lakes, forests, prairies, wetlands and 20-plus miles of trails for strolling, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing… Bennies and Johnnies get plenty of opportunities to get out, breath deeply and give their brains a break.
SJU: Athletics
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In the fall, there's really no better place to be on game day than right here in Clemens Stadium at Saint John's. The Johnnie football team is consistently ranked among the nation's best, and has played in nine of the top 20 best-attended games in NCAA Division III history. Sports Illustrated once ranked this one of the best places in the country to watch a college football game.
Saint Ben's and Saint John's are proudly separate members of the NCAA's Division III – each with 12 varsity athletic teams and offering countless chances for you to reach for excellence as a student-athlete.
SJU: Science Center
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Studying biology at Saint Ben's and Saint John's, you'll share space like this lab in the Peter Engel Science Building at Saint John's – where lab sections are all led by professors. Many of these students will go on from here to graduate school. For some, that could mean summer research work alongside a professor. For pre-med students it could mean engaging in our Student Health Assistant program at St. Cloud Hospital. It all means that our students' acceptance rates consistently beat national averages for graduate programs like medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, physician assistant, physical therapist and pharmacist.
SJU: Student Life
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One thing you won't see at Saint Ben's and Saint John's is suitcases. Our students stick around on weekends because there's ALWAYS something going on. With more than 100 student clubs and organizations there are countless opportunities to connect, serve, lead and learn. We have two student senates, two campus ministry teams … there's a club for nearly every interest. But if you don't see the one you want, that's a great opportunity to start building it yourself. Our Center for Student Leadership and Engagement also plans programs every weekend during the school year – get ready to be entertained and engaged!
SJU: Residence Life
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We're in Seton Village, just across the Nicol Bridge, on the lower campus at Saint John's. It's housing primarily for Johnnie seniors, so it's likely the last place most Johnnies will live together in community. But the nature of our Benedictine spirit and the strength of our alum network mean that it's certainly not the last place you'll feel a part of this community.
Alumnae of Saint Ben's and alumni of Saint John's are famous for showing up for each other and their school. Alums are here – sometimes with internship offers – often with job offers – consistently with gifts that fund scholarships to support you on your way through college.
SJU: Art Center
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With galleries, classrooms and studio spaces in the Benedicta Arts Center at Saint Ben's as well as here in the Art Center at Saint John's, our students find opportunities and inspiration in the visual arts. You can earn an art scholarship here, no matter what your major. You'll create and display your work in book arts, photography, video, letterpress, drawing, painting, pottery, sculpture, papermaking and more. Senior art majors can work from their own private studio, use two student galleries, and find mentorship through our faculty and our visiting artist program. Each faculty member maintains an active studio practice, which is essential to their lives as artists and as teachers.
SJU: Alcuin Library
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Saint Ben's and Saint John's are about more than just teaching – we put a community in place to support you and put you in the best position to learn. That includes resources like The Study here in Alcuin Library at Saint John's. The Study can make sure you're getting the most out of college as you adapt to new expectations and experiences, with skills like goal setting, time management, effective studying, communication and presentation skills.
College is a time of discovery and exploration. With The Study, the Math Center, Writing Center, counseling through our Well-Being Center … we aim to support you in doing your best.
SJU: Academics
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Your time at Saint Ben's and Saint John's will be packed with possibilities leading to leadership. Try starting your own business, running to serve in one of our two student senates, stepping up for leadership in one of over 100 campus clubs and organizations – or consider the opportunities in a U.S. Army Reserve Officer's Training Corps scholarship.
ROTC cadets from Saint Ben's, Saint John's and nearby St. Cloud State University make up the Fighting Saints – one of the nation's most successful and decorated cadet battalions.
An ROTC scholarship can pay your full tuition, fees, books and more, and can lead to a rewarding career as a commissioned Army officer.
SJU: Simons Hall
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Ever dream of your own business? At Saint Ben's and Saint John's, that entrepreneurial spirit can show up in anyone. So here, you can pair our entrepreneurship minor with any major and create your own path. Our Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship provides classes, coaching and assistance to all kinds of aspiring business creators. Speakers and programs attract Bennies and Johnnies who may have never yet considered themselves entrepreneurs. And our selective Entrepreneur Scholars program offers incredible opportunities for travel, learning and mentorship in the process of building a business of your own from scratch. Since the program began in 2004, E-Scholars have launched over 50 successful start-ups and ventures!
SJU: Arboretum
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The Saint John's Abbey Arboretum covers thousands of acres of lakes, woods, trails, wetlands, oak savannah and restored prairie. Paired with the lakes and forests of the Saint Ben's woods, our access to nature presents Bennies and Johnnies with unmatched opportunities to study, experiment and explore.
Majoring in environmental studies at Saint Ben's and Saint John's will give you an unparalleled outdoor classroom for research and data collection. Our graduates open themselves to career fields with growing employment opportunities like environmental education, law, policy and much more!
