College of Saint Benedict

The College of Saint Benedict is a private liberal arts college in Saint Joseph, Minnesota.

CSB, a suburban campus university circled by forests and lakes, is the only all-female Benedictine college in the country.

It was established in 1913 by Benedictine Sisters, although the idea was hatched more than half a century earlier. By the late 1940s, the institution had already built the biggest female Benedictine community globally.

It is run in partnership with the neighbouring Saint John’s University, an all-male institution whose students share CSB’s curriculum and can use both campuses. Saint John’s, which also has a liberal arts focus, was established back in 1857.

CSB’s 600-acre campus is 73 miles north west of Minneapolis, the largest city in the state, and less than 10 miles from the city of Saint Cloud, which is home to several universities of its own. It has been hailed for its commitment to sustainability. More than half of the student body is Catholic, but the college is open to students from all religions and none.

Highly-rated courses today include fine arts, nursing and psychology. Historically, it also enjoys a reputation for service learning and environmental studies. Student-staff ratios at CSB are low, and its course completion rates exceed state and national averages comfortably.