"Franciscan is vibrantly Catholic, really welcoming, really friendly. The classes are interesting, and the teachers challenge you and make you want to push yourself to see how far you can go. Everybody can get involved in something they enjoy. All around, it's just amazing!" Elizabeth Boylan, Ford City, Pennsylvania , Homeschooled 11 Years,

From unassuming beginnings as a college for World War II veterans, Franciscan University of Steubenville today is a prominent example of the renaissance underway in Catholic higher education. Operated by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, the University attracts 2,400 students from all 50 states and 12 countries--including hundreds of homeschooled students.

Since 1988, students who have thrived in a homeschool environment have made a smooth transition to successful college life at Franciscan University. That's because the same commitment to faith and reason that draws families to homeschool their children forms the foundation of our approach to education.

Franciscan University is fully committed to proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life inside and outside the classroom. Our academically challenging and uniquely Catholic educational experience is designed to help students discover the Way through a Catholic university that imparts moral, spiritual, and intellectual virtues and opens paths to a vocation and a career; seek the Truth through a demanding academic curriculum and pre-professional experience, a passion for new knowledge, and teaching grounded in objective truth; and experience the Life within a Franciscan campus that celebrates the lordship of Jesus Christ, life in the Holy Spirit, and love for the Catholic Church.

The University is listed in every edition of Barron's Best Buys in College Education and ranked in the top tier in its division in the 2007 U.S. News & World Report list of America's Best Colleges. The school offers 35 undergraduate majors; 8 pre-professional programs, including pre-dentistry and pre-medicine; and seven graduate programs. Despite ongoing enrollment growth, the University maintains a low 15:1 student-faculty ratio, allowing you to receive the personal attention and direction you're used to as a homeschooled student.

 As they have since 1991, up to 150 students per semester eagerly sign up to study and live in a renovated fourteenth-century monastery in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. This is another chance for you to grow in faith and friendships like those developed during your homeschooling years as you study with a smaller student body in the center of Europe and travel to the churches and shrines of Rome, Paris, Madrid, Krakow, and beyond.

 The heart of the Franciscan University experience, however, is found in our mission to prepare the next generation of Catholic leaders--for business, society, home, and Church life. Toward this goal, the University offers a wide range of programs within and outside the classroom.

 Franciscan University sponsors the nation's only human life studies minor, which teaches students to think, speak, and act intelligently on human life issues. We also offer a unique humanities and Catholic culture major and a challenging Great Books Honors Program that introduces students to the most important writings of Western civilization. Our catechetics and theology programs are the largest in the country, allowing students to learn from professors whose writings and presentations on the Catholic faith are known worldwide.

 The newest building on campus, Saints Cosmas and Damian Science Hall, has been a boon to science and math majors, while expanded facilities for the Nursing Program and a new legal studies major open doors to careers in the medical and legal professions. In addition, new concentrations in international business and multimedia prepare students for careers in two emerging fields.

Particularly attractive to homeschooled students, our faith households--small groups of students whose members support, recreate, and pray with one another--break through the isolation that frequently permeates dorm life. Over 40 households foster Christian values through mutual encouragement and development of positive peer support. The campus is also known for its vibrant liturgies and strong turnout for retreats, spiritual talks, and Festivals of Praise. Hundreds make a weekly commitment to Eucharistic adoration, and most Masses have standing room only, even on weekdays.

The popular Works of Mercy Program places you shoulder-to-shoulder with the poor and marginalized in inner city and rural communities. Over summer, winter, and spring breaks, the Franciscan Missions of Peace offer students the chance to help others and share the gospel in the United States and in countries such as Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, and Thailand. You can also join the pro-life group, Students for Life, or sign up for evangelization and Christian outreach activities spearheaded by the Campus Ministry Office, households, and other campus groups. A wide range of student-run academic clubs and a thriving athletic program that offers varsity sports, intramural sports, recreational sports, and outdoor adventures for every athletic ability round out a Franciscan education.

 This combination of demanding academics, Christ-centered social activities, and dynamic spirituality has earned Franciscan University high praise from Church leaders and educators. The Templeton Foundation, for example, describes Franciscan University as "a liberal arts school where faith and reason are allies, not enemies."

It has also earned high praise from homeschooled students:

"It's really an amazing place with so many different kinds of people and so many classes you can take and the faith is so strong," says Ryan Rousseau of Fredericksburg, Virginia. "By virtue of being homeschooled, you are usually more in touch with your faith anyway, and it just makes the transition so much easier. It's such a great place with so many awesome people--you'll fit in in no time."

Ryan, who was homeschooled his whole life, says his favorite class so far is Foundations of Catholicism. He's played intramural flag football and volleyball, and plans to join the Brothers of the Eternal Song Household.

Erin Nelson, who wants to be a magazine or book editor at a publishing company, says, "The classes are challenging, particularly the upper level courses because there's more of a workload, but I've grown a lot being away from home and making my own choices. The faith environment is supportive, nurturing what I already had, and having that spiritual aspect here has helped me grow."

Erin is from Bloomingdale, Ohio, and she was homeschooled for 12 years.

Freshman English Major Elizabeth Boylan is involved in SENT Ministry to teens, abortion clinic outreach, and attends daily Mass, and says Franciscan has "completely" lived up to her expectations.

"I really didn't want to go anywhere else because Franciscan was a household name. It was so Catholic , and my parents really liked the idea. A lot of my friends were talking about going, too. I came for a visit, and the atmosphere was just perfect. I actually didn't apply anywhere else," she says. "I'd tell any homeschooled student thinking about going here, 'Go for it!' It's just awesome!" 

All students submitting homeschooled transcripts are eligible for the full range of scholarships and financial aid offered by Franciscan University. Contact the Admissions Office or fill out the form below to receive an information packet tailored for homeschooled students.

Admissions Office: 1-800-783-6220 or admissions@franciscan.edu.