Hope College

Hope College was founded by Dutch Immigrants in the city of Holland, Michigan. The college was originally founded as The Pioneer School in 1851. The school grew to take in older students and eventually offer college level education and received a state charter in 1866. The first college class, comprising ten students, enrolled in 1862. The original pioneer school opened just four years after the settlement of Holland was founded. Hope College retains strong links with the Reformed Church of America and combines education within the Christian faith with high academic standards.

Today Hope is a thriving private residential liberal arts college with an enrollment of students studying a wide range of undergraduate courses from Physics to Classical Languages. Courses are spread across five areas: General Education, Arts and Humanities, Natural and Applied Sciences, Social Sciences and Pre-Health Programs. The college offers more than 80 majors, minors and pre-professional programs as well as a variety of study abroad options of differing lengths.

The Hope College campus stretches over 125 acres in the heart of downtown Holland, reflecting the school’s historic relationship with the town. The majority of students live on-campus in the halls, apartments or cottages available. To mark the college’s 150th anniversary two new buildings were opened, the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts and the Kruizenga Art Museum, both of which are open for use by all students and faculty.