 Principia's campus sits on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River | |
| Motto | As The Sowing, The Reaping |
|---|---|
| Type | Privateliberal arts college |
| Established | 1912; 113 years ago (1912) |
Religious affiliation | Church of Christ, Scientist |
| Endowment | $696.2 million (2020)[1] |
| President | Meggan Madden |
Administrative staff | 120 |
| Students | 348 (fall 2023)[2] |
| Location | ,, United States 38°56′56″N90°20′56″W / 38.94889°N 90.34889°W /38.94889; -90.34889 |
| Campus | Rural, 2,500 acres (10 km2), 2,600 acres (1,100 ha) |
| Mascot | Panther, Thunder Chicken (Rugby) |
| Colors | Blue and gold |
| Website | principiacollege.edu |
 | |
 | |
Principia College is aprivateliberal arts college inElsah, Illinois. It was founded in 1912 byMary Kimball Morgan with the purpose of "serving the Cause ofChristian Science."[3] Morgan wrote in her book, Education at the Principia that, "Although the College is not affiliated with the Christian Science Church, the practice of Christian Science is the cornerstone of campus life."[4][5] Principia no longer requires its students or their parents to be students of Christian Science or Christian Science Church members. Presently, its student body represents 26 countries and a variety of faith backgrounds.[6]
Principia sits on bluffs overlooking theMississippi River betweenAlton andGrafton in theMetro East region of Southern Illinois, thirty miles north ofSt. Louis. A portion of the school's 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) campus is a designatedNational Historic Landmark District, for its many buildings and design by architectBernard Maybeck.
Although Principia College was born out ofThe Principia, founded byMary Kimball Morgan in 1898, the name Principia was not adopted until 1898.[7] As Morgan's school grew, the founder ofChristian Science,Mary Baker Eddy, approved The Principia's reference as a Christian Science school.[7] Emerging from thePrincipia Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools founded between 1898 and 1906, Principia College was established with a purpose of "serving the Cause of Christian Science through appropriate channels open to it as an educational institution."[8][9] The college, however, has no official affiliation with theChristian Science Church and Christian Science is not taught as a subject, but its teachings form the basis of community life at Principia.[10] The first Upper School class graduated in 1906 and it is from this class that a junior college was established, whose first alumni graduated in 1917. Principia College has beenaccredited by theHigher Learning Commission since 1923.[11]
ArchitectBernard Maybeck was commissioned to design a new college campus in Elsah, Illinois. By 1931, ground was broken on what would become his largest commission.[12][13]
On the Principia College grounds is Eliestoun House, designed byAlexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr. and completed in 1890. When Principia began moving to Elsah, guests stayed there, including Mary Kimball Morgan and Bernard Maybeck.[14]
In 1934, Principia College graduated its first class as a full four-year institution. In 1935, the college was officially moved to its present-day location in Elsah. The Principia College campus was once considered as the site for theUnited States Air Force Academy though ultimately the Air Force chose a location inColorado Springs,Colorado, instead.
On April 19, 1993, about 300 acres (120 ha) of the campus was designated aNational Historic Landmark by theUnited States Department of the Interior. The year 1998 markedcentennial celebrations by the school.
In the 21st century, the school's enrollment size has declined due to the dwindling number of Christian Scientists.[15] As of 2024, the school began accepting students with no affiliation with Christian Science.
There are ten student dormitories on campus: Anderson Hall, Rackham Court, Howard House, Sylvester House, Buck House, Brooks House, Ferguson House, Joe McNabb, Lowrey House, and Clara McNabb. The first six mentioned were designed by formerUniversity of California, Berkeley professor andAIA Gold Medal winnerBernard Maybeck in 1935, as was the campus' chapel.[16] Maybeck attempted to use different architectural styles and building techniques for each of these dormitories and for the chapel. In an effort to ensure success with his designs and materials, he experimented with them through the creation of a small building known affectionately by Principians as the "Mistake House."[17] In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the Principia College Campus was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places[18] by theAmerican Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois).
.jpg)
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(June 2021) |
Principia had an endowment of $696.2 million as of June 2020.[19][20] The endowment size declined by more than $100 million in the decade prior to 2018.[15]
Principia College offers twenty-seven majors in theliberal arts and sciences. The college does not currently offer agraduate program. The most popular majors includemass communication,biology,sociology,anthropology,studio andfine art, andbusiness administration.[21][22]
Principia offers Study Abroad & Field Programs, International Student Programs, Conferences, and International Student Experiences.[23][24]
In their 2025 rankings,U.S. News & World Report ranked Principia tied for #66 (up from #83 in 2019 and #139 in 2014) among all National Liberal Arts Colleges, and #2 in the category of "Best Value Schools".[25] For the 2024–2025 academic year, Principia College's annual tuition costs were $33,600, with additional costs of $13,910 for room and board.[26] In 2024, the school had an acceptance rate above 45%.[27]
Principia College has a diverse student composition and amount of organizations given its size. 20% of its students are international and represent thirty countries on six of the world's seven continents.[28][failed verification] The college has forty student clubs and organizations, among these the Euphrates and Leadership institutes.[28][29] The Public Affairs Conference at the college is one of oldest student-led conferences in America and has been held annually since 1939.[30] The Principia College Speaker Series has featured former United States PresidentBarack Obama, statesman and retired four-star generalColin Powell, former United States presidentGeorge H. W. Bush, former United States presidentJimmy Carter, author and poetMaya Angelou,David McCullough,Elie Wiesel, actor and directorRobert Duvall,Val Kilmer,Coretta Scott King, andMargaret Thatcher.[31] In addition to the Public Affairs Conference, Principia College holds an International Perspectives Conference with a focus on global issues such ashuman rights in Africa.[32]
Of the technological programs present at Principia College, most prevalent and distinguished is its study insolar energy. The college has competed insolar car world events since 1995 and finished second in theNorth American Solar Challenge of 2008 and seventh in theWorld Solar Challenge of 2009.[33]
Principia College teams, named the Panthers, participate as a member of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association'sDivision III in theSt. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). The Principia Panther is the mascot of Principia College and has been since its change from the Indian in 1984.[7] There are 14 varsity athletic teams at Principia College of which men's sports are baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, track & field, and rugby; and women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.[28]
In 1983, the women's tennis team won the NCAA Division III national championship.[7]
In 2013, the men's rugby team won the first ever Open DivisionUSA Rugby 7s Collegiate National Championship, beating theUniversity of Wisconsin-Stout 27–12 in the championship match.[34]
In 2022, the men's rugby team completed an undefeated season by winning the Division IINational Collegiate Rugby Championship XVs title, defeatingIndiana University of Pennsylvania 47–16 in the championship match.[35]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
