The cornerstone of the Program at St. John’s College is our belief in an “education for all.” We have had students from every state in the country, from rural and urban areas, and nearly a fifth of our students come from abroad. Each year, approximately 30% are students of color, 20% are Pell Grant recipients, and 15% are first generation to college. We have students of deep religious faith and no particular faith. We have a large LGBTQ+ community, including transgender and gender nonconforming students. We strive to live up to the call in the description of our program of study that “because [we] offer ... an education for all, [we have] sought and continue ... to seek to make [our] program of study known and available to people of diverse backgrounds.” The nature of our class discussions, where students of such different backgrounds are able to converse about deep questions, is a hallmark of what we do.

The Statement of the Program highlights that “by reading great books and struggling together with the fundamental questions that they raise, students and their teachers learn from their differences and discover more deeply their shared humanity.” With our discussion-based pedagogy, our community of learning depends on and benefits most from a diversity of background and experience.

Today’s Supreme Court decision will not change our commitment to ensuring that St. John’s College remains a diverse and inclusive community of learning. Our admissions and financial aid teams are dedicated to employing every tool at our disposal so that qualified students of all races experience this transformative college experience, and we honor our mission to provide an education for all.

Mark Roosevelt, President, St. John’s College, Santa Fe

Nora Demleitner, President, St. John’s College, Annapolis