Chestnut Hill College

Located in Philadelphia's garden district, Chestnut Hill College is a coed, private, Catholic institution founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1924. With about 825 undergraduate students, the College boasts a 12:1 faculty-student ratio with class sizes ranging from four students to about 25. The College's self-proclaimed "geographic identity crisis" is a huge draw for students: it's across the street from Fairmount Park (the largest park system in any U.S. city), and within walking distance from a SEPTA train station to center city Philadelphia. Among its 30 majors and 29 minors are several five-year combined Master's programs, including Education, International Business, Language, & Culture, and Psychology. As incoming class sizes have grown, so has the campus itself. SugarLoaf Hill, an estate and conference center formerly owned by Temple University, was acquired by the College in 2006. Its former hotel now houses 60 students in a dormitory, and post-renovation plans include classrooms, dining services, and more. Student leadership and serving the community are part of the Chestnut Hill College experience. A few examples: its Student Government Association organized the first-ever SEPCHE Student Government conference. The College was named to the 2008 Presidential Honor Roll for community service. Its activities team, CHAT, made the College the first in Philadelphia to play human Quidditch (and later placed third at the College Quidditch World Cup at Middlebury College). A 2009 graduate had her first book published by age 22. Its chapter of Phi Beta Lambda consistently wins in national competitions. To quote the College's first President, Maria Kostka Logue, “Chestnut Hill will prepare you to learn how to earn a living because you must. But you are here to learn how to live."