Smart. Playful. Energetic. Free spirited. Politically active. Compassionate. Humanistic. Opinionated...yet with an open mind. And just a little zany...but in a studious, scientific sort of way.
All of these have been used to describe New College, and we are proud of that. After all, college should be about exploring new ideas and challenging yourself to reach higher than you ever thought you could. It should be about meeting new people from throughout the country, and around the world. And it should be about establishing friendships, both with your fellow students and with faculty who will become lifelong mentors for whatever academic and personal goals and dreams you may have.
Since our founding in 1960, New College itself has challenged the accepted norms of higher education. Here is a look at just a few characteristics that make New College every bit as unique as our students:
Independent
As the State of Florida's legislatively-designated "honors college for the liberal arts," New College is the only public college or university in the state whose sole mission is to provide an undergraduate education of the highest caliber to leading students from around the country. The average SAT score for first-year students admitted to New College is over 1300, and our student population consists of individuals from more than 40 states and 25 different countries.New College's exceptional academic programs have been recognized by leading national publications, including The New York Times, US News & World Report, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Barron's, Fiske Guide to Colleges, and Loren Pope's Colleges that Change Lives.
Inspired
With a total enrollment of 750-800 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, New College offers an intimate learning environment, where faculty and students engage collaboratively in in-depth exploration of ideas and subject matter.Intellectual
We have produced more than 36 Fullbright Scholars over the last 14 years, ranking New College among the nation's Top 10 liberal arts colleges in terms of per capita Fulbright production -- higher than Harvard, Stanford and Yale.The Wall Street Journal ranked New College the nation's #2 public university for sending graduates to top law, medical and business schools.
Innovative
Students design individualized programs of study and areas of concentration.Because all classes are taught by faculty, students work directly with some of the country's foremost scholars and scientists.
Every student must complete a senior thesis and an oral baccalaureate examination prior to graduation.
Involved
More than 50 percent of New College graduating seniors consistently report having engaged in volunteer efforts, contributing a total of over 6,000 volunteer hours during their college careers.Our students serve as role models and mentors to young people from disadvataged backgrounds. Tutoring or educational work with children tops the list of student volunteerism.
Our community outreach programs have won awards from the NAACP, the YMCA, Sarasota County and Better World Books.
