St. John's College
At St. John's, every student reads the same books: Homer, Plato, Euclid, Darwin, and about 200 more, discussed in seminars across four years. There are no majors, no electives, and no textbooks. Just the books and the conversation. If that sentence thrilled you, keep reading.
| Location | Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | About 1,000 students across both campuses |
| Tuition model | Sticker price near $40,000; average net price roughly $25,000 to $31,000 after aid |
| Selectivity | About 44 to 50 percent, but enrolled students are academically strong |
| The distinctive thing | Every student reads the same Great Books curriculum. No majors, no electives, no textbooks. |
Campus culture
The defining forum testimony is a College Confidential thread comparing the campuses: a junior who spent two years in Annapolis called it very intense and very stressful, with pressure to perform in class plus a real drinking scene, while Santa Fe was much less tense in the classroom, more social and calm under blue skies. Unigo students emphasize academic rigor and civility, and the 'polity' concept: everyone reads the same books in the same order.
Net: a genuine intellectual monastery with a heavy reading workload and a warm, tight community, with meaningful personality differences between campuses. Drinking culture is more pronounced in Annapolis. Students who want electives, lab science, or pre-professional training will feel trapped.
Traditions
- The Annapolis Cup: an annual spring croquet match against the US Naval Academy, held since the 1980s, drawing thousands, with the St. John's team costume kept secret until introductions.
- The Funeral Games in Santa Fe: freshmen celebrate finishing the Iliad with toga-clad tug-of-war and wheelbarrow races.
- Convocation: each freshman signs the college register, shakes the president's hand, and receives a class book.
- Waltz Committees hosting formal dance parties on both campuses, and a Freshman Chorus performing at events.
- Evening seminar, held Monday and Thursday since 1937, with formal dress and post-class discussion.
Dorms and food
Standard college dorms on both campuses. Dining is professionally run (Bon Appetit in Annapolis), with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Forum chatter about housing quality is thin; the dining setup is professional, not student-run.
Social scene
Intramural sports, archery, a pottery studio, a coffee shop, theater, and club teams in crew, sailing, fencing, and croquet. Santa Fe adds hiking and skiing. Social life is community-internal and book-adjacent, with waltz parties and seminar spillover conversations; mainstream Greek or party culture does not exist.
Who thrives here
Students who love reading classics and arguing about them, tolerate or crave a totally fixed curriculum, and want learning for its own sake. Future lawyers, teachers, writers, and academics are the classic outcomes.
Who should look elsewhere
Students who want to choose majors, take electives, do lecture-style lab science, pursue pre-professional training like business or engineering, or need constant campus entertainment variety.
Costs and financial aid
High sticker (tuition around $40,000, total cost of attendance near $56,000 to $59,000) but strong aid: roughly 90 percent or more of students receive grants, bringing the average net price to about $25,000 to $31,000 depending on campus. The workload makes holding a heavy outside job unrealistic, so budget accordingly. Run your own numbers in our true cost of college calculator.
Admissions
Essay-centric, including historically an essay on a significant book; test-optional, no application fee, Common App accepted, and recommendation letters not required. Rolling admissions. What they look for: genuine love of the program, strong writing, and intellectual curiosity.
Notable facts
- In 2026 the college announced its Great Books program is officially recognized as a triple major in Philosophy, Literature, and the Natural Sciences; the Class of 2027 is the first to graduate under the new degree name.
- The college dates to 1696, making it the third-oldest in America; the Great Books program itself dates to 1937.
- Faculty are called tutors and teach across the entire curriculum; grades are recorded for graduate schools but not shown to students.
- Reading the same canon? Our Reading Room has free audiobooks of many Great Books authors, from Plato to Darwin.
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Frequently asked questions
Do St. John's students pick a major?
No. Everyone follows the same all-required program, now officially recognized as a triple major in philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences.
Which St. John's campus should I choose?
Annapolis is more intense and tradition-heavy with the croquet rivalry; Santa Fe is calmer, outdoorsy, and mountainous. Same curriculum, and you can transfer between campuses.
Is St. John's hard to get into?
Acceptance is 44 to 50 percent, but enrolled students have strong grades and scores. The bar is intellectual fit, not just numbers.
Are there grades at St. John's?
Grades are recorded for graduate programs but not shown to students during the term.
Is St. John's religious?
No religious affiliation, despite the name.
What do St. John's graduates do?
A disproportionate share earn advanced degrees in law, academia, and medicine. The college touts strong graduate-school placement.
Can I take electives at St. John's?
Very little. The all-required program is the point.