University of San Diego

Academic Excellence

In just 50 years, the University of San Diego has grown from a local college with 50 students and a handful of professors to a nationally ranked university. This achievement is the direct result of a single, unwavering expectation: academic excellence. 

 

The breadth of programs and depth of facilities means that students can easily find a course of study that ignites their intellectual fire. In the classroom, coursework across disciplines encourages students to develop their critical thinking skills. Small class size means the instructors know their students and can stimulate curious minds with anything from a spot on a research project to an after-class discussion on topic. In this environment, students begin a lifelong habit of appreciating and cultivating their individual gifts.

To complement this instruction, USD's honors program provides a challenging curriculum for USD's uniquely motivated students. The program, which began in 1979 with just 20 students, now reaches nearly 300 students with a full range of courses.

While intellectual growth is key, an education that dismisses the rest of a person's character is a wasted opportunity. USD adds depth to its education by inspiring students to grow spiritually, morally, socially. In Founders Chapel, an active faith community invites widespread student participation. In the classroom, a study of the classics and the arts would be incomplete without an examination of ethics and values. And on campus, the social possibilities are bountiful, from clubs and career organizations to environmental activism.  

 

University of San Diego students inquire freely and challenge ideas, exercise moral, spiritual and social judgment, serve others, and contemplate social justice in their lives and in their chosen fields. These students are truly educated. These students achieve excellence.

 

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