Gustavus Adolphus College: Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Place


Gustavus Adolphus College is a private, residential, liberal arts college located on a scenic hilltop overlooking the Minnesota River

Christ Chapel, which was dedicated in 1962, is at the center of campus. Daily services are held there as well as a Sunday morning service. Gustavus is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Valley. From state-of-the-art facilities to unique course requirements and 66 options for academic majors, Gustavus provides an undergraduate education of recognized excellence for its more than 2,550 students.

Nurturing intellectual growth has been a focus at Gustavus since Swedish immigrants established the college in 1862. In 1983 the college earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honor organization recognizing excellence in liberal learning.

Old Main, which is now a historic landmark, housed the entire college during the early years of the school. It currently is home for six of the college’s 24 academic departments. Other departments are now housed in eight other major buildings. The Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, which houses more than 260,000 volumes, complements the academic facilities.

Gustavus has a 4-1-4 calendar, meaning that students take four classes during the fall semester, one in January, and four classes during the spring semester. The January Term provides a unique opportunity for students to take classes not otherwise offered, such as bronze casting, robotics, or deaf awareness. Students also often use January Term to travel abroad or undertake an internship.

Gustavus offers a choice of two curriculum programs to fulfill basic requirements. Curriculum I offers courses in seven broad liberal arts areas. Curriculum II, which is limited to 60 entering students each year, provides a sequence of interrelated core classes. First-year students in the Curriculum I program are required to take a First Term Seminar, a discussion-based class of around 16 students that introduces them to a liberal arts education. The FTS professor also serves as a student’s academic adviser.

Gustavus is a residential college, with more than 2,000 students living in campus residential facilities. The college recently completed a new campus center to better serve its campus community.

Nurturing lives of service is a key element of the college’s mission. The Community Service Center on campus provides opportunities for students to be involved in volunteer activities. A number of its programs, including Big Partners/Little Partners, Amigos, and Study Buddies, have received awards for the services they provide to the greater St. Peter-Mankato community.

Built in 1876, Old Main once housed the entire college.

Gustavus offers varsity athletic competition in 25 sports, participating in the NCAA’s Division III and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Lund Center for Physical Education and Health is home to many of the teams and to an intramural program that attracts more than 75 percent of the college’s enrollment. The college has ranked in the top 25 in six of the past seven years in Directors Cup competition, a measure of overall athletics program excellence for schools competing in Division III.

The college’s Linnaeus Arboretum, named for the famous Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus, is a 55-acre site landscaped to model the major natural ecosystems in Minnesota. The "Arb" includes 2.5 miles of paths that are great for walking or cross-country skiing. There are also a variety of gardens and a rock overlook.

From academics to student life, Gustavus offers a wide range of opportunities and provides an environment that supports the success of its students.