Franciscan University of Steubenville

Private · Moderately Selective · OH

Photo: rklopfer (CC BY-SA 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationOH · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,901

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate64.6%

6-yr grad rate75.4%

Drop-out rate12.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$34k

Out-of-state tuition$34k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity26.9%

Gender diversity53.7%

International1.8%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Franciscan University of Steubenville, in eastern Ohio along the Ohio River, is one of the most intentionally and visibly Catholic campuses in the country. Its identity is built around integrating a charismatic, devout Catholic faith life directly into academics and student life rather than treating religion as a separate track, and it draws students nationally who are specifically seeking that combination.

Academics

Theology, catechetics, and philosophy are the university's signature and most distinctive programs, taught by faculty who are themselves deeply engaged in Catholic intellectual life, and these programs draw students who might otherwise attend a seminary or religious studies program elsewhere. Beyond theology, the university offers a full range of standard majors, but the integration of faith across the curriculum, not just in theology courses, is the consistent thread.

Campus & student life

Daily Mass draws real, voluntary crowds rather than a small devout minority, and students join faith-based "households," small, single-sex covenant communities, instead of traditional Greek life, which shapes social life around shared faith commitments. A well-known study-abroad program in Gaming, Austria, sends a large share of students overseas for a semester, an unusually high participation rate for a school of its size. The overall campus culture is warm, close-knit, and unusually earnest about religious practice.

Getting in

Applicants are expected to be genuinely seeking a faith-integrated education, and the application process, while not unusually selective, does look for authentic alignment with the university's Catholic mission rather than treating religion as incidental.

After graduation

Many graduates go on to work in Catholic education, parish and diocesan ministry, or pursue graduate theology and philosophy programs, a career pattern distinct from most schools of similar size. The theology and catechetics programs in particular feed directly into Catholic institutional and ministry roles nationally.

Worth knowing

The household system is the defining social structure on campus and functions as Franciscan's substitute for Greek life, built around shared prayer and mutual support rather than parties. Daily Mass attendance and eucharistic adoration are genuinely woven into student routines, not reserved for a devout few, and the Austria study-abroad program is unusually central to the undergraduate experience.

franciscan.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate58.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1110–1350 · ACT 22–29

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying