FAQs for Prospective Students & Families
Learn more about what makes our college an exceptional place to study, grow, and thrive.
Who should I contact if I have questions about Rosary College?
If you are a prospective student, our team invites you to email our Marketing and Recruitment team, with any questions you have at: marketing@rosary.college or call at 864.200.2060.
About Rosary College
1. Why was Rosary College founded?
The founders of Rosary College desired a respected institution rooted in Catholic liberal arts education that would aid the human family in the search for meaning, knowledge, and truth amidst an era of rapid technological and scientific advancement and “incomparably fertile dialogue with people of every culture” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae 6). Rosary College builds upon a strong movement of renewal in Catholic liberal education throughout the United States. This has been spearheaded by faithful Catholic colleges, along with an explosion of new and renewed Catholic high schools and parochial schools throughout the country returning to a classical model.
2. Where is Rosary College located?
Rosary College has online and in-person courses. Our in-person classes are scheduled to be held at Christ on Main in downtown Greenville, SC. To learn more about Christ on Main, a new Catholic Center opening summer 2024, visit Catholic Center. The Upstate, SC area houses a growing number of faithful Catholics, seeking to grow in holiness within the community. There is a movement of Catholics relocating to Greenville, SC from across the nation, attending Our Lady of the Rosary high school, St. Joseph’s High School or joining existing and newly created homeschool communities.
3. Is Rosary College Newman Guide-recognized?
Rosary College is provisionally recognized by the Newman Guide. This year, we were one of the only colleges not listed on the Newman Guide to be invited to attend the 1st ever Newman Guide College Leaders Summit mid-June 2024, with a conference theme “Our Shared Mission.”
4. What is Rosary College’s mission?
The mission of Rosary College is to draw its students into the pursuit of wisdom rooted in intellectual and moral virtues in fulfillment of its evangelizing mission as an institution of higher education in the Catholic tradition. We are committed to the Catholic liberal arts tradition and a Benedictine integration of prayer, work, beauty, and contemplation as foundations for our students’ formation.
5. How does Rosary College fulfill its Catholic mission?
The College becomes Catholic in reality when its faculty, and every employee of the College, affirm and act on the principles contained in the College’s Mission Statement. All faculty members and employees, along with the Board of Trustees, are expected to publicly declare the Catholic Profession of Faith, and anyone who is exempted is expected in virtue of their contract of employment to respect and support the College’s Mission Statement.
The College’s faculty and employees bear a ministerial role in the Church as participants in the priestly office of Christ, and have a responsibility to promote eternal salvation. Each faculty member is, in addition, expected to reflect on the College’s Catholic nature and character by reading Ex Corde Ecclesiae annually, attending an annual faculty meeting on Ex Corde Ecclesiae, and considering how their teaching and research contribute to the Catholic mission of the College. Rosary College’s expectation of faculty and employees is that upholding and promoting the College’s Catholic nature and character is the responsibility of the entire College community.
Furthermore, the Mission states that the College will encourage “students to use prayer and work in their quest to discover the truth and beauty of God”. The College finds inspiration in the Benedictine tradition of ora et labora, and faculty are required to begin each class with prayer or spiritual reading and incorporate these ideals into their research and teaching.
6. What does it mean to be a Catholic college?
Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which translates into English as “from the heart of the church,” is the Apostolic Constitution of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II on Catholic Universities. The university itself, this document reminds us in its first line, is born from the very heart of the church, and as a Catholic institution, Rosary College aims to make the heart of the Catholic Church its life-preserving force.
A Catholic higher education should consist of intelligently and faithfully studying nature and God’s Revelation in order to develop the full measure of students’ humanity, where humanity is understood as having been made in God’s image, redeemed by Christ, and called to evangelize. Faculty are “called to be witnesses and educators of authentic Christian life” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae 22).
According to Ex Corde Ecclesiae, a Catholic university will have four essential characteristics:
- a Christian inspiration not only of individuals but of the university community as such;
- a continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which it seeks to contribute by its own research;
- fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through the Church;
- an institutional commitment to the service of the people of God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to the transcendent goal which gives meaning to life (Ex Corde Ecclesiae 13).
7. Do students have easy and frequent access to the Sacraments? What opportunities do they have to attend Holy Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration?
Rosary College’s unique situation gives students the freedom to take advantage of the sacramental lives of a variety of parishes in the Greenville area, though Rosary College does not have a special relationship with any particular parish. All of the following churches in the Greenville, SC area offer frequent opportunities for students to receive the sacraments:
8. What is the social life like at Rosary College?
Although Rosary College does not have a centralized campus, it is uniquely situated within the Greenville community. Rosary College Archangels will come together throughout the year for several all-campus events, including all-campus masses at appointed parishes, the annual Fall Benedictine Colloquium, and the annual St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture in the spring. Additionally, the Program Director will lead hikes to explore the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains (sometimes co-led with a local priest), and will create opportunities for students to form community and to be involved in leadership opportunities. There are manifold opportunities for students to get involved in local activities as well as parish life at one or more of the many local churches. Students are encouraged to take the initiative in finding ways to get involved.
9. How did the creation of this school come about? What was the process like?
The creation of Rosary College was truly a work of the Holy Spirit and a series of events that brought together passionate individuals. It began with Father Dwight Longenecker, who saw his son thrive as a dual-enrolled student at a local community college while he completed high school. He thought having a Catholic institution with a similar capability to support the local community would be of tremendous value for the growing Catholic population. This vision resonated with Professor Joseph Pearce, an acclaimed author and scholar in the area, and Dr. R. Jared Staudt, Director of Content at Exodus, scholar and author of several books, who had experience starting other Catholic schools. Dr. Michael Shick, a recently retired senior military officer, scholar, and business owner, had also been praying about founding a Catholic college and found himself part of this initiative.
Father Longenecker invited Professor Pierce, Dr. Staudt, and Dr. Shick to join his vision for the college, unaware that Dr. Shick had been praying about starting a college for quite some time, and through the Holy Spirit, they all came together. They conducted a feasibility study and surveyed the local community, which showed strong support for a Catholic college. Rosary College became the first Catholic college in South Carolina. The institution is built on the foundation of building wisdom, leveraging the great books, and teaching through a Catholic lens. It incorporates Benedictine Charisms such as ora et labora to guide its educational approach. In short, everything came together beautifully to create Rosary College.
10. What are the goals of the school?
Rosary College aims to provide a rigorous, liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic tradition that is Authentically Catholic and Affordable. The primary goal is to foster students’ intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth, helping them build wisdom and virtue to navigate life. The institution prepares students for further academic pursuits at other faithfully Catholic institutions or for entering the professional world. Rosary College empowers students to evangelize through their personal and professional lives, embodying their faith in all aspects. Additionally, the college emphasizes developing the crucial ability to think critically rather than dictating what to think, rooting this development in objective truth.
11. What future plans does the school hope to achieve? Will it ever become a four-year university?
Rosary College focuses on establishing a vibrant learning community that values the great works of the past and their relevance to contemporary life. The institution believes in the transformative power of a good education within the Catholic tradition. While the immediate focus is on providing the best liberal arts education possible, future plans may include expanding the curriculum to incorporate training in trades and other fields and establishing a permanent campus. There is openness to evolving into a four-year university and beyond as the college grows, provided that doing so meets its community’s and students’ needs.
12. How many students will be attending in the fall?
Rosary College anticipates welcoming a number of students for the 2025 fall semester.. The college’s unique model, offering in-person and online classes, attracts students from various backgrounds and locations. Strong interest and support have been received from the community, and the exact enrollment numbers will be finalized as the semester approaches.
13. How is the school being advertised?
Rosary College employs a comprehensive advertising strategy, including setting up vendor tables at Catholic events and conferences to engage directly with potential students and their families. The college maintains a robust online presence through active engagement on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. Email campaigns and features in prominent Catholic news outlets like Catholic World Report, Crisis Magazine, The Imaginative Conservative, Catholic News Agency, and the National Catholic Register help spread the word about Rosary College.
Here are some helpful resources:
14. What makes this school different from other colleges?
Rosary College stands out due to its unique combination of affordability, rigorous liberal arts education, and strong Catholic identity. The creative model keeps operating costs low by being non-residential and utilizing existing classroom spaces, passing the savings on to students. The college offers a two-year Associate Degree in Catholic Studies in Integrated Humanities, with in-person and online classes, making the programs accessible to a wide range of students. Agreements with other colleges, such as Ave Maria University and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, ensure seamless credit transfer, providing a cost-effective pathway to a bachelor’s degree.
Rosary College’s focus on integrating faith and reason, fostering a community grounded in Catholic values, and preparing students for diverse career paths sets it apart. The mission is to deliver a life-changing education that is faithful to the Catholic tradition and responsive to contemporary needs. The faculty, staff, and administration understand that faith, reason, and objective truth are not divergent. Moreover, they believe truth is uniform across all time, subjects, and thoughts. Understanding the integrated nature of subjects breeds an environment of wisdom and brings us closer to the truth only found in God.
About Academics
1. What are Rosary College’s academic strengths?
Rosary College has 3 primary academic strengths. First, our faculty are highly credentialed and experienced scholars and educators who are experts in their fields. They are also devoted Catholics, who recognize their ministerial role in cultivating the natural and theological virtues in their students, and integrating a Benedictine approach to study, work, and prayer. Our faculty are committed to a liberal arts education that guides students to gain the freedom of thought required to discover truth and draw closer to God.
Second, our curriculum is designed to order students toward readiness to serve within the Church and society. By focusing on the Integrated Humanities students will enter into an interdisciplinary search for wisdom. Being inspired by the greatest texts and led to wonder through the encounter with truth, beauty, and goodness, students will learn how to think and what is worthy of love. This approach to the humanities will lay the foundation for the entire curriculum and for a life centered on the ongoing pursuit of wisdom with a focus on leadership and service.
Third, our model of offering courses both in-person and online gives students greater access to an affordable, high-quality education.
2. What is an Associates of Catholic Studies (ACS) degree in Integrated Humanities, and what doors will it open for me?
An Associates of Catholic Studies degree is a two-year degree on Catholic theology, dogma, ethics, and the historical and contemporary influence of the Catholic faith on broader society. You will gain a thorough knowledge of the Old and New Testaments; study Church Doctrine through the works of Doctors of the Church, Church Fathers, and major papal documents; explore the significance of the Catholic faith from a philosophical engagement with the great books and works of art of the liberal arts tradition; and learn how to apply these teachings in the workplace, daily life, the workplace, and the Church.
This degree will prepare you to think carefully, discern what is valuable, communicate persuasively, and order your own life in accordance with your natural abilities and God-given purpose. It will prepare you with the essentials needed to be a free person living in a free society.
Rosary College Archangels can continue on to a 4-year degree by transferring up to 60 credits towards a BA at one of our partner institutions (with more to come!)*:
- Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL
- Thomas More College in Merrimack, NH
- The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
*students must first apply to partner institutions, acceptance is not guaranteed
3. What does it mean to be a classical college?
The classical model of education is an approach to education that follows the natural developmental stages from childhood through early adulthood, beginning with music and gymnastics, grammar, logic, and rhetoric, arithmetic, astronomy, music, and geometry. These subjects, called the seven liberal arts, all aim towards a cultivation of human virtue and a love of truth, beauty and goodness, and culminate in the study of philosophy and theology in higher education.
4. Why is it important to receive a Catholic, classical education?
A Catholic, classical education prepares you to realize your full human potential. The human mind has a capacity to learn. The human heart has a capacity to love. The human soul has a capacity to fulfill a higher purpose. It’s not a question of whether we are this way, but what we direct our minds, hearts, and souls towards. What do we learn? What or whom do we love? What is our purpose? A liberal arts education in the Catholic and classical tradition helps us to think through these unavoidable, human questions and apply answers to our lives, for our good and the glory of God: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
5. I did not/am not attend(ing) a classical high school, can I still succeed at Rosary College?
Absolutely! Many of the greatest scholarly minds did not receive a classical education in high school, including members of our own faculty. We only ask that you bring a desire and willingness to learn, and are confident that students from any background can succeed at Rosary College and beyond – whether in academia, the workplace, the home, or a vocation in the Church. You can also take advantage of academic support services, such as college-provided teaching assistants, to get extra help.
6. Is dual enrollment available to high school students?
Rosary College offers dual enrollment as an option for homeschoolers and for students of Catholic high schools that have approved our credit for their families. For homeschool students, parents have the flexibility to determine how these college courses align with their high school curriculum. They can count these courses towards the student’s high school credit requirements in relevant subjects, ensuring that the student meets all the necessary criteria for high school graduation.
7. What is dual enrollment?
Dual enrollment gives high school students the opportunity to earn college credits while simultaneously completing high school credit requirements. Every course in which a student is dual enrolled counts for both high school and college credit for that student.
8. How big is Rosary College? What is the average class size? Student to professor ratio?
With a total of 45 students and 5 professors, Rosary College’s Fall 2025 semester has an average class size of 9 students and a student-to-professor ratio of 9:1.
9. Should I be concerned about attending a college as small as Rosary College?
There are challenges to attending any small Catholic college. However, there are also many benefits. Students have easy access to their professors and receive a level of care and attention not available to students at large institutions. Furthermore, the small class sizes allow professors to employ the Socratic method of teaching, in addition to interactive lectures with more time for Q & A. Small class sizes mean students have a unique opportunity to learn through conversation. That said, we do expect the college to grow quickly!
10. Are Rosary College’s online courses asynchronous or synchronous, and what does that mean?
Online sessions will be synchronous (live), in order to promote productive student engagement with professors. That said, online courses will be recorded, so if students have occasional scheduling conflicts, they can coordinate with professors to view the missed class and catch up on assignments.
11.If I begin attending classes in-person and there is an option to attend online for that same course, is it flexible to attend online or in-person?
For all courses, students can add, drop, or change courses within the add-drop period, depending on available space. The same procedure applies for online and in-person sections of the same course.
12. What are the benefits of attending classes in person?
As Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas agreed, human beings are social by nature, and our goodness and happiness depends on fulfilling our natural potential. Students have a greater opportunity to benefit from the social aspects of education in classes that meet in person than in those that meet virtually, and the experience of learning in person is enhanced by the subtle additions of body language and eye-contact, which are more difficult to achieve in a virtual classroom setting. Other often-overlooked but nevertheless delightful aspects of the collegiate, in-person classroom experience include easy access to engaging conversations with classmates before class or a final question or two for the professor after a lecture. Overall, meeting in person simply provides students with more opportunities for fellowship and academic and spiritual growth.
Since our classes are held in Christ on Main in beautiful downtown Greenville, SC, attending classes in person will also confer the many benefits that downtown Greenville has to offer. Have to study for class? Coffee Underground is a welcoming cafe one block away that serves desserts, a full menu, and has table room for laptops and books. In need of an extra layer for a chillier (but still likely sunny!) winter day? The iconic Mast General Store is less than a five minute walk away. Need a study break? Take a walk to Falls Park on the Reedy, a natural paradise in the heart of downtown. Multiple ice cream shops, artistic venues, cafes, restaurants, boutiques, and natural landscapes await!
13. What are the benefits to attending classes online?
We are blessed with the privilege and responsibility of living in an age of immense technological advancement. Rosary College, while firmly rooted in the liberal arts tradition and the Tradition of Holy Church, recognizes that virtual classroom technology has the potential to make a quality liberal arts education more accessible than ever. Many people earnestly desire a deeper knowledge of God and creation but lack the time or other resources necessary to pursue a conventional college education at a rigorous, religiously devout institution. Rosary College online classes offer these people the opportunity to pursue the liberal arts education they want from their own homes.
About Pathways
1. What if I want to pursue my education beyond an associate degree? Will I be able to transfer my credits to another institution?
Upon graduating, Rosary College students who desire to continue their education can transfer up to the full 60 credits to one of our partner institutions. Rosary College’s partner institutions are The Catholic University of America, Ave Maria University and Thomas More College, with more on the horizon. Our team is working on building relationships with other Newman Guide institutions to give our Archangels more post-graduation options.
About Tuition
1. How much is Rosary College’s tuition?
The estimated total cost per semester for a full-time student taking five courses for credit is $2,940. For more details, visit: Tuition and Costs.
2. Does Rosary College give scholarships?
Rosary College does not currently have scholarships of its own to offer. However, our team has compiled a list of external scholarships for Rosary College students to determine eligibility and apply. For more details, visit: Scholarships
3. Does Rosary College accept the FAFSA, Federal or State taxpayer subsidies or will it in the future?
Rosary College is a private institution, supported by laity and private donors. Rosary College does not currently accept Federal or State taxpayer subsidies, and plans to remain privately funded.
Who should I contact if I have questions about Rosary College?
If you are a prospective student, our team invites you to email our Marketing and Recruitment team, with any questions you have at: marketing@rosary.college or call at 8642002060.
