Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University
Former name
Saint Leo College (1889–1999)
MottoYou'll love the person you become here.
TypePrivate university
Established1889 (established). Re-established as a college in 1959.
Religious affiliation
Academic affiliations
Association of Benedictine Colleges and Universities
Endowment$62.2 million (2016)
PresidentEdward Dadez
Academic staff
1,706[1]
Students9,523[2]
Location
St. Leo, Florida
,
U.S.

28°20′16″N 82°15′25″W / 28.33778°N 82.25694°W / 28.33778; -82.25694
CampusRural
Colors   Green & gold
NicknameLions
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division II – Sunshine State
Mascot"Fritz"
Websitewww.saintleo.edu

Saint Leo University is a private Catholic university in St. Leo, Florida. It was established in 1889.[3] The university is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery.[4] The university and the abbey are both named for Pope Leo the Great, bishop of Rome from 440 to 461.[5] The name also honors Leo XIII, who was Pope at the time the university was founded, and Leo Haid, then abbot of Maryhelp Abbey in North Carolina, now Belmont Abbey, who participated in founding the university and served as its first president.[6]

The first Catholic college in Florida,[7] Saint Leo is one of the fifteen largest Catholic colleges in the United States.[8] It enrolls students at the traditional University Campus, and through its Center for Online Learning. University-wide, Saint Leo educates students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories, and more than 80 countries. As of Spring 2017, total enrollment was 16,207 students, with 2,088 of those at University Campus.[9] As of 2023, total enrollment is 9,523. [10]

Saint Leo was one of the first American universities to provide distance learning opportunities to students, beginning with educating military men and women in 1973 during the Vietnam era at the height of the anti-war movement.[11] Saint Leo University offers more than 40 associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees, and certificate programs[12] and inaugurated its first doctoral program in 2013.[13] As of Fall 2016, the faculty included 219 full-time faculty and 1,157 fully qualified adjunct faculty members.[14][needs update] In 2020, they had approximately 2000 employees.[15]

  1. ^ "Saint Leo Facts & Figures, 2017-18". Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  2. ^ "College Navigator - Saint Leo University".
  3. ^ Horgan, James (1989). Pioneer College: The Centennial History of Saint Leo College, Saint Leo Abbey, and Holy Name Priory. Saint Leo Press.
  4. ^ Horgan, James (1989). Pioneer College: The Centennial History of Saint Leo College, Saint Leo Abbey, and Holy Name Priory. Saint Leo Press.
  5. ^ Horgan, James (1989). Pioneer College: The Centennial History of Saint Leo College, Saint Leo Abbey, and Holy Name Priory. Saint Leo Press.
  6. ^ "Spirit – Fall 2014". SaintLeo.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  7. ^ Horgan, James (1989). Pioneer College: The Centennial History of Saint Leo College, Saint Leo Abbey, and Holy Name Priory. Saint Leo Press.
  8. ^ "Rankings, Largest US Colleges: Roman Catholic". College Raptor. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Facts & Figures". SaintLeo.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  10. ^ "College Navigator - Saint Leo University".
  11. ^ Horgan, James (1989). Pioneer College: The Centennial History of Saint Leo College, Saint Leo Abbey, and Holy Name Priory. Saint Leo Press.
  12. ^ "Facts & Figures". SaintLeo.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  13. ^ "Spirit – Fall 2014". SaintLeo.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  14. ^ "Facts & Figures". SaintLeo.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  15. ^ "A University Had Big Goals for Expansion. Now, It's Drastically Cutting Back". The Chronicle of Higher Education. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-03-09.