Education: Unlimited Opportunities
Only two years after a pair of Italian Jesuits--Michael Accolti and John Nobili--arrived in California in 1849, Nobili had founded Santa Clara College, which would evolve into Santa Clara University, California’s first institution of higher education. Ever since then, Jesuits and their lay partners have been creating distinctive learning environments from kindergarten to graduate school. At every educational level, Jesuit schools emphasize care of the individual student.
The California Province's tradition of educational excellence is exemplified by our nationally recognized college preparatory schools. In recent years, we have forged collaborative arrangements with local dioceses and other religious orders to foster still more educational opportunities at the middle- and high-school levels while making the most effective use of our personnel and resources. Such collaboration may lead to the shared sponsorship of schools. More recently, the California Province has endorsed a select few Catholic start-up schools; our endorsement means they will be Ignatian schools in the Jesuit tradition benefitting from the pedagogy and spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola.
For a closer look at our education ministries, click on the links below: