Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent institution of higher learning founded in 1844 by men and women “grateful to God for the inestimable blessings” resulting from civil and religious liberty and “believing that the diffusion of learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.” It pursues the stated object of the founders: “to furnish all persons who wish, irrespective of nation, color, or sex, a literary, scientific, [and] theological education” outstanding among American colleges “and to combine with this such moral and social instruction as will best develop the minds and improve the hearts of its pupils.” As a nonsectarian Christian institution, Hillsdale College maintains “by precept and example” the immemorial teachings and practices of the Christian faith.

The College also considers itself a trustee of our Western philosophical and theological inheritance tracing to Athens and Jerusalem, a heritage finding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-government under law.By training the young in the liberal arts, Hillsdale College prepares students to become leaders worthy of that legacy. By encouraging the scholarship of its faculty, it contributes to the preservation of that legacy for future generations. By publicly defending that legacy, it enlists the aid of other friends of free civilization and thus secures the conditions of its own survival and independence.

Hillsdale is a selective, coeducational college of liberal arts for approximately 1,400 students. Fully accredited, it graduates students with the degree of bachelor of arts or bachelor of science and prepares them for graduate study, for professional schools, for teaching, and for many vocational and cultural pursuits.

Hillsdale’s founders opened the doors to all, regardless of race or religion, in 1844. It was the first college in Michigan, and the second in the United States, to admit women on par with men. Its cosmopolitan student body is assembled from homes in forty-seven states and eight foreign countries.

Hillsdale College maintains its defense of the traditional liberal arts curriculum, convinced that it is the best preparation for meeting the challenges of modern life and that it offers to all people of all backgrounds not only an important body of knowledge, but also timeless truths about the human condition. The liberal arts are dedicated to stimulating students’ intellectual curiosity, to encouraging the critical, well-disciplined mind, and to fostering personal growth through academic challenge. They are a window on the past and a gateway to the future.

The College values the merit of each unique individual, rather than succumbing to the dehumanizing, discriminatory trend of so-called “social justice” and “multicultural diversity,” which judges individuals not as individuals, but as members of a group and which pits one group against other competing groups in divisive power struggles.

At Hillsdale you’ll meet people and be exposed to ideas that will expand the way you see the world and your role in it. You’ll get an education that will prepare you for anything. You’ll learn to demand more from yourself, because you’ll see how much more you have to deliver. Come to Hillsdale and experience what college was meant to be.Our Honor Code shapes student culture around the goal of self-government. Students unite what they learn about virtue in the classroom to its practice in daily life and help one another develop good character.

A true and traditional liberal arts curriculum. As students study the best of the Western Tradition with our faculty, they form the ability to think critically and independently, and to recognize and pursue the Good, True, and Beautiful. This type of education guides our students through their life, regardless of career path.Hillsdale offers an excellent start to your future. The 97 percent placement rate for Hillsdale College graduates proves our students find employment upon graduation. Our Career Services professionals work with students from the very beginning of their college experience to help identify goals and become competitive applicants for internships, graduate programs, and professional schools like law and medicine.

We’re very excited that you’ll be joining us this fall. You’re a member of one of the most selective, academically qualified, and geographically diverse classes in the history of Hillsdale College. We already said it in your acceptance letter, but it’s worth saying again: Congratulations!You have a few months to get ready before starting your college career. Fair warning: Much of this involves filling out forms. Please know we’re always available to answer questions.

The Michael Alex Mossey Library seeks to support the College’s diversified curriculum by developing a collection of resources well-balanced in subject matter, viewpoint, and media form and by offering the collateral services of library instruction, reference, reserve readings, interlibrary loan, and circulation. In addition to these course-related objectives, the library supports faculty research and professional development and attempts to provide suitable materials for leisure reading of both faculty and students.The Library also supports the College’s mission of preparing leaders by fostering an appreciation for our heritage. The Library does this by collecting books, documents, artifacts, and memorabilia of our College, city, county, state, and nation.