Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts university in St. Leo, Florida. It is associated with a Benedictine monastery known as Saint Leo Abbey as well as a Benedictine convent, Holy Name Monastery. Saint Leo is the first Roman Catholic college in the state and one of the five largest Catholic colleges in the nation. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked the university #26 overall in the Regional Universities South category.
History
In 1889, a former chief justice of the Arizona Territory, Edmund F. Dunne, gained control of 100,000 acres in FL and established a Roman Catholic colony. The area is now known as San Antonio. That same year, Abbot Leo Haid was gifted 36 acres of Dunne’s land to found Benedictine College. A couple of months later, Holy Name Monastery, Saint Leo Abbey, and Saint Leo College were created.
St. Leo College opened its doors in 1890 and is named after Pope Leo the Great, bishop of Rome; Leo XII, Pope; and Leo Haid, abbot of Maryhelp Abbey in North Carolina. The college conferred its first bachelor’s degree in 1967 and was accredited by the Southern Educational Association.
In 1973, Saint Leo was one of the first U.S. universities to provide distance learning opportunities to students like military men and women during the Vietnam era. Finally, in 1999, the school gained university status and became Saint Leo University.
Academics & Campus
The rural campus consists of 40+ education centers and offices. Saint Leo offers over 40 baccalaureates, master’s, and associate degrees. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The student body can participate in numerous associations, clubs, and societies, including the Computer Science Association, Debate club, Honor societies, the International Tourism Club, LEAD scholars, Pre-Medical, and the Student Government Union. As of today, there are seven sororities and seven fraternities on campus.
At the traditional University Campus, Saint Leo enrolls 16,207 students, representing three U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, all 50 states, and 80+ countries. Alumni at Saint Leo University includes Bob Tewksbury, Charles Henri Baker, Desi Arnaz, Ed Narain, Lee Marvin, Richard Corcoran, and Stephen Stills.
For more information, visit: www.saintleo.edu. The campus is located at: 33701 State Rd 52, St Leo, FL 33574, United States.
Athletics – Lions
The sports teams are members of the NCAA’s Division II in the Sunshine State Conference.
The Lions athletic teams include:
Women: acrobatics & tumbling, basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball.
Men: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track.
In 2016, the men’s golf team won the first NCAA Division II National Title in school history. Go Green & Gold!
Gifts
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