Patrick Henry College

Private · Moderately Selective · VA

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationVA · South

SettingRural

Undergrads395

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate64.8%

6-yr grad rate73.9%

Drop-out rate12.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$28k

Out-of-state tuition$28k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.2%

Gender diversity45.1%

International0%

Identity—

Overview

Patrick Henry College, in Purcellville, Virginia, is a small classical Christian college built around a rigorous core curriculum and an explicit mission of training leaders for government, law, and public life. Its student body has historically been drawn heavily from homeschooling families, and the college markets itself as an academically serious option for that population rather than a Bible college. Founded in the early 2000s, it has built a reputation well beyond its size through debate and moot court success and a real presence in Washington's conservative political and legal circles.

Academics

The government major, with its strategic intelligence concentration, is the school's signature program and leans on Patrick Henry's location less than an hour from Washington, D.C. for internships woven into the semester rather than confined to summer. Coursework runs through a shared classical core in the early years before students specialize, with small classes throughout. The college is also known nationally for competitive moot court, mock trial, and debate, producing multiple national championship teams relative to its size.

Campus & student life

The campus sits in rural Loudoun County, a working landscape rather than a college town, and student culture leans conservative, close-knit, and church-oriented, with chapel and Christian commitments part of daily life. Many students commute into Washington for internships during the semester as part of the academic program. Social life centers on campus organizations, debate and moot court teams, and a strong shared sense of mission among a small student body.

Getting in

Patrick Henry looks for strong academic preparation paired with a demonstrated Christian faith commitment and alignment with the college's classical, government-focused mission; applicants typically submit a faith statement alongside standard materials. Debate, writing, and leadership experience have historically carried real weight in review, and the college has drawn a large share of its students from homeschool backgrounds.

After graduation

Graduates go disproportionately into law, politics, policy, and government service, aided by the internship pipeline into Capitol Hill offices, federal agencies, and conservative advocacy organizations. The alumni network is unusually concentrated in Washington political and legal circles for a college this size, and many graduates go on to law school.

Worth knowing

The internship program is a defining feature: full-time coursework runs alongside credit-bearing internships in Washington rather than as a separate summer add-on. Patrick Henry is unapologetically mission-driven and conservative Christian in identity, which shapes classroom discussion and campus life, and that fit matters more here than at a typical secular college.

phc.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1240–1420 · ACT 27–33

Test policyrequired

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying