
A Graduate Education Like No Other
St. John’s is not like other graduate programs. Whether you are pursuing the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, the Master of Arts in Eastern Classics, or the Liberal Arts Education Certificate, our radical vision of education is simple: the study of great books and the discussion of those books in a singular intellectual environment.
Students have the option of studying in person in Annapolis, MD or Santa Fe, NM, as well as the opportunity to enroll online through our low-residency program. Each provides a unique environment for students to explore great books through rich conversations.
Students in the Graduate Institute come from all walks of life. They range between 20 to 80 years of age and come from all over the country and world. They are future PhDs and current PhDs, filmmakers, journalists, authors, lawyers, astronauts, teachers, physicists, and just about everything in between. However, there is one thing all students share in common — a passion for great books and great ideas.
Though the Graduate Institute offers considerable professional gains for all of its students, particularly present or prospective teachers, students are also generally motivated by the intrinsic rewards of reading great books and discussing them with others who care deeply about the issues they raise.
To learn more, contact Graduate Admissions or fill out the form on this page.
St. John's By the Numbers

1
Our one major will take you anywhere. Credits are equivalent to a double major in philosophy and the history of math and science; and a double minor in literature and the classics.
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7:1
The low student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1 contributes to our Number 8 ranking for “Best Classroom Experience” by the Princeton Review.
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200+
Johnnies’ chronological study of more than 200 great books and scientific experiments, which span 3000 years, is often considered the most rigorous education in America.
The St. John’s College Reading List
$35k
St. John’s undergraduate tuition of $35,000 is among the most affordable of top-ranked liberal arts colleges in the country.
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2
The Graduate Institute offers two master’s degrees: one in Liberal Arts and one in the Eastern Classics of Asia.
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50%
Half of all Johnnies do at least one internship, many of which are fully-funded through the Hodson and Ariel internship programs.

#5
The Princeton Review ranks St. John’s as fifth best in the country for top professors. Of course, at St. John’s we call them “tutors.”
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80%
Most Johnnies live on campus in Annapolis or Santa Fe, including all freshmen and sophomores.

7,000
Santa Fe sits at a rarified 7,000 feet with access to 478 miles of hiking and biking trails. 79 ski trails are 15 miles uphill from campus.
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30
The Annapolis campus is just 30 minutes from Washington, D.C., making it one of the best colleges for politically engaged students.
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2
St. John’s has two campuses in two state capitals: Santa Fe, New Mexico and Annapolis, Maryland.
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3-2
Johnnies hold the national collegiate croquet championship title and last year beat the US Naval Academy 3-2 at the world-famous Annapolis Cup.
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1696
Johnnies have been reading great books since 1696 (when we were called “King William School”), making St. John’s the third oldest college in the United States.
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#1
Ranked as the college sending the highest number of students to PhD programs in the humanities, St. John’s sends students to pursue advanced degrees and directly into dozens of fascinating careers.
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Top 4%
St. John’s is in the top 4% for the number of students receiving PhDs in science and engineering. The curriculum includes four years of advanced mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.
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