Principia College

Enrolling nearly 450 students from 36 states and 27 countries, Principia College offers an outstanding liberal arts academic program with a focus on Christian Science-based character education.

The Principia shall seek to serve the Cause of Christian Science through appropriate channels open to it as an educational institution.

Principia is a Christian Science community of practice where all members are students, teachers, and healers. Through transformative opportunities, a challenging curriculum, and character education based on the teachings of Christian Science, we examine, test, and strengthen our faith while developing the skills and understanding requisite for excellence. As global, outward-looking, inspired learners, we serve and better the world.

Principia College is an exciting place to learn and live. Our professors are invested in your success. They’ll push you to strive for excellence, develop a broad understanding of the world, and think critically. Through challenging academics, hands-on learning, and extraordinary opportunities on and off campus, a Principia education prepares you to make your mark.

With more than 30 areas of study and the ability to design your own major, opportunities to broaden your knowledge abound at Principia.

Broaden your perspective with a liberal arts education. Explore multiple disciplines, and put your understanding into practice with hands-on learning. Get individual attention from professors who know your name—and understand your God-given ability. Put it all together, and you’ll be set for success at Principia and beyond.

Our professors are engaged learners and enthusiastic teachers. They’re eager to share their research and experience with you—from tracking U.S. elections to studying prairie grasses.

The scholarship program at Principia welcomes all degree-seeking prospective students, domestic and international, regardless of national and ethnic origin or citizenship. Each of our scholarships is based on stated criteria, regardless of need.

Principia is a liberal arts college, not a specialized or technical school. The curriculum emphasizes writing, quantitative reasoning, information literacy, and critical thinking. These skills are applicable to all professions and prepare students to contribute to society in a variety of ways.

Course instruction often involves discussion, and students participate actively in exchanges with classmates and professors. Christian Science-based character education is an integral part of all academic and co-curricular programs.

There’s a lot more to college than classes, so dive into campus activities starting day one. Pursue lifelong interests, discover new talents, make your mark.

The Academic & Career Advising (ACA) Office is ready to support you through each step of your college career by providing academic guidance and resources that help you into, through, and beyond.

At Principia, you’ll get your hands dirty, test your theories, and put your understanding into practice. Sometimes, you’ll be in a classroom; other times you’ll meet in a field, theatre, forest, museum, studio, or manufacturing plant.

Many of our majors are known for experiential learning—check out biology, political science, educational studies, and theatre, for example.

Hands-on learning isn’t limited to classes, though. Student clubs and activities put you in the middle of the action. Between classes and clubs, you can design and race a solar car, produce maple syrup from scratch, direct plays, choreograph dances, become a beekeeper, compete in Moot Court, mediation, and computer programming contests, and more.

The Marshall Brooks Library has a rich array of resources, an impressive archive, and a number of special collections, which include, among other things, a first edition of Paradise Lost and a letter from Virginia Woolf. Friendly librarians provide research assistance and subject guides to help you in your study, and our I-Share system enables you to request books and resources from other libraries.