Canisius Profile
Canisius College is the largest private university in Western New York. Canisius is one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the nation and is consistently ranked among the top regional colleges in the Northeast. Founded in 1870 by German Jesuits, Canisius College is named for St. Peter Canisius, a renowned Dutch educator and one of the original members of the Society of Jesus. What began in a single building in downtown Buffalo now consists of 32 buildings located on 72 acres in a residential neighborhood in North-Central Buffalo.

President
John J. Hurley is Canisius College's 24th President.  He succeeded Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J. who had been president of Canisius College since 1993.  To read more about President Hurley, click here.

Mission
Canisius College is proud to share in the Jesuit heritage, which offers students a highly personalized education solidly based in the liberal arts that emphasizes the development of the whole person. Canisius prepares leaders – intelligent, caring, faithful individuals – able to pursue and promote excellence in their professions, their communities and their service to humanity.

Faculty
The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, which allows students to work closely with their instructors, often publishing or presenting scholarly articles based on joint research. There are 230 full-time faculty at Canisius, of whom 94 percent hold a PhD or other terminal degree.

Library
Canisius students and faculty have access to a library collection of more than 425,000 items, including books, periodicals, videotapes and DVDs. The library subscribes to more than 24,000 full text electronic periodicals, as well as to hundreds of paper journal titles. The library has wireless network access and loans laptop computers to students for use in the library. Students have convenient access to more than eight million volumes in the ConnectNY consortium. Additional library materials are available via Interlibrary Loan.

Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry is responsible for the religious life of the campus. Activities are open to students and staff of all faiths and include spiritual retreats, service opportunities and the promotion of social justice.

Mass is celebrated in Christ the King Chapel for the college community at 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 11:45 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Student services and activities
More than 100 college-sponsored organizations offer Canisius students experiences related to service, the media, student government, academics, and religious and social interests.

Enrollment
Total number of students – 5,111
  • Undergraduate – 3,369
    Full-time – 3,011, Part-time – 358
  • Graduate – 1,742
    Full-time – 887, Part-time – 855
  • 48 percent male
  • 52 percent female
  • 21 states represented
  • 27 foreign countries represented
  • 1,490 live in campus housing, including 71 percent of the fall 2010 entering class
  • The fall 2010 entering class had an average SAT score of 1103 and a high school average of 90.2 percent. Fifty-four percent of the class had a high school average of 90 percent and above.
Colleges
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Richard J. Wehle School of Business
  • School of Education and Human Services
Alumni
There are more than 40,000 Canisius alumni who live and work in the United States and 52 other countries around the world.
  • 96 percent of Canisius alumni live in the United States.
  • 69 percent of Canisius alumni live in New York State.
  • The largest numbers of alumni living outside the U.S. reside in Canada, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
To learn more about the alumni association and alumni events, visit www.canisius.edu/alumni.

Curriculum
There are more than 1,000 courses in over 125 distinct majors, minors and special programs offered at Canisius. Included are these recently created programs:

Undergraduate:
  • Animal Behavior, Ecology & Conservation
  • Classics
  • Creative Writing
  • Dance (minor)
  • Environmental Studies
  • French Language and Culture Minor
  • German Language and Culture Minor
  • Journalism
  • Language & Culture (various minors)
  • Peace and Justice Studies Minor
  • Spanish Language and Culture Minor
  • Studio Art Minor
Graduate:
  • Forensic Accounting
  • Physical Education On-line
  • Literacy Education On-line
  • Sport Administration On-line
  • School Building Leader (SBL)/School District Leader (SDL) Certification Program On-line
For a detailed listing of majors, minors and special programs, please visit www.canisius.edu/academics.

Class size
The average class size is 17.

2009 - 2010 Graduates
  • Undergraduate – 675
  • Graduate – 550
2010 – 2011 Financial Profile
  • Annual Operating Budget $90.8 million
  • Financial Aid $46.2 million
  • Market Value of Endowment $137 million
2010 - 2011 tuition, fees, room and board
Undergraduate Tuition and Fees
  • Full-time — $29,020 per year
    Fees — $1,057
  • Part-time — $828 per credit hour
Room and Board
  • Full-time — $10,980 per year
Graduate Tuition and Fees
  • $694 per credit hour
Recent Distinctions
  • Canisius has invested more than $142 million in its campus, including $67 million in eight major residence hall projects over the past 16 years. Plans are currently underway for an interdisciplinary science center in Science Hall, the former HealthNow building
  • With more than 24 major projects completed, Canisius has been one of the most significant private developers in the city of Buffalo.
  • Canisius has a $90.8 million operating budget and nearly 1,000 employees, which would rank it as the 21st largest private company in Western New York. The college's annual economic impact on the area is estimated at $232 million.
  • Canisius earned its highest ranking in college history with the 20th spot in the top tier in U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 rankings of America’s Best Colleges, Regional Universities – North. Consistently ranked among the top regional colleges in the northeast, Canisius moved up one position to achieve its record ranking. Canisius held the 22nd spot for the past two consecutive years. Canisius was also listed among the “Great Schools, Great Price” category for comprehensive schools in the north.
  • Canisius was listed in the 2010 edition of Peterson’s Competitive Colleges.
  • For the third consecutive year, the Chronicle of Higher Education "Great Colleges to Work for Surveys" recognized Canisius College as a leader in providing an exceptional work environment for its employees.
  • Canisius College is known for its exceptional science programs. Canisius has an impressive record of faculty-student research and publication, and over the past 10 years, has a 93 percent acceptance rate for students who apply to medical, osteopathic, dental, veterinary, podiatry and optometry schools.
  • The Canisius College Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program ranked first out of 135 schools in the Eastern Region for medium-sized detachments by the U.S. Army Cadet Command and the General McArthur Foundation in 2008.
  • Canisius College tied for fifth in the nation, among master's institutions, for its number of J. William Fulbright Scholarship recipients in 2007-2008.
  • Including Fulbright scholarships, 45 national fellowships and scholarships have been awarded to Canisius College graduates in the last 22 years. These include the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, Andrew M. Mellon Fellowship, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Harry S. Truman Scholarship