List of All U.S. Colleges with a Classics Major
Over the course of the seven years I studied Latin, I was asked the question “What is that useful for?” too many times to count. Well, where to start? My Latin classes taught me far more about grammar and vocabulary than my English classes, which took my writing to the next level. I learned about the history of Ancient Rome, and how much of modern Western society is rooted in the Classical World. And I had the opportunity to read some of the most famous texts in the Western canon, such as the Iliad, in their original language. A Classics major will equip you with an interdisciplinary set of skills that will help you with much more than just the reading section of the SAT. This post will provide you with a list of schools that offer the major, and what to look for in a Classics program. Many schools offer a few variations of the Classics major, so that students have the flexibility to focus on either Latin or Greek, or both if they want. While some Latin or Greek will be required regardless of which direction you take the major in, you can also choose to take courses on classical history, archaeology, religion, and philosophy. Students who succeed in classics courses are generally detail-oriented, interested in history, and drawn to interdisciplinary work. Reading Ancient Greek or Latin requires a keen eye to identify particular grammatical structures and see how each sentence fits together. A love for history will also help you enjoy your classes more, as many discussions will center on how various authors fit into the broader landscape of the Classical World. You will also be doing work with literature, linguistics, and potentially even engineering if you choose to take a Classical Architecture course, so having a wide range of interests is essential for a Classics Major. As a Classics major, your courses will also likely be relatively small, so you will have the opportunity to engage directly with your classmates and professors. Many students enjoy this kind of classroom environment, but if you find seminar-style classes stressful, a Classics major probably isn’t for you. While not every Classics major goes to grad school, those who want to go into academia, whether as a professor or a researcher, typically pursue a Masters or PhD. You may also choose to go to grad school in a different field, such as Law. The close reading skills you learn as a Classics major prepare you well to analyze complex legal documents. Alternatively, you may choose to enter the workforce after graduation. As a Classics major, you might decide to do something directly related to your undergraduate studies, such as work at a museum, or apply your skills to something totally new, like consulting. While you must be prepared to explain in an interview how Classics has prepared you for the job you are applying for, the analytic and interdisciplinary skills you learn as a Classics major are applicable to a whole host of fields. Regardless of how you decide to focus your Classics major, spending a term or a year in Greece or Italy is an invaluable opportunity to physically connect with the material you have been studying. If you are especially interested in archaeology, some schools offer programs that allow you to participate in ongoing digs. Others focus more on literature, and on connecting with the places in which classical authors were writing. You may not yet know which direction you want to take your Classics major, which is completely fine. If you do have some sense of what you’re most interested in, however, look at the study abroad programs offered at the schools you’re considering to see if they align with your more specific interest in Classics. The top Classics programs in the country host events that enrich what students are learning in the classroom and expose them to current research in the field. Some of these events are lectures, given by either professors at the college or guest speakers, which are on topics such as “Troubling the Classical Commonplace: Reading Ancient Athenian Legal Speeches After Frederick Douglass” (given at Stanford by Yale Professor Emily Greenwood) and “Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Latin Epic” (given at Harvard by Holy Cross Professor Tim Joseph). If you identify an area of study within Classics that you are especially drawn to and would like to investigate outside the classroom, or potentially even as a career, your college may be able to write you a research grant to get you started. You can usually use the funding in a variety of ways: to conduct research for your thesis, join an archaeological dig, or participate in an intensive language program. Keep in mind that you do have to apply, so that the school can ensure you will be spending the money to enhance your studies. If you already think research is something you will be interested in, see what sorts of Classics grant programs are offered at the schools you’re applying to. Notice a school that’s missing? Email us and let us know! As you decide which schools to apply to, keep in mind that you are most likely to be accepted at schools where you are academically comparable to previously accepted students. This is because many schools use the Academic Index as an initial filter of the tens of thousands of applications they receive each year. Once you get past the initial academic screening, the qualitative parts of your application, such as your activities list and your essays, become much more important. Academics will be considered at every stage, but as admissions officers make their final decisions, they will also be thinking about factors like what kind of roommate you would be and what you would add to their school beyond academics. If you are wondering what your chance of acceptance is at a particular school, we recommend using our free Chancing Engine. Unlike many other calculators, it evaluates your personal profile comprehensively, and includes both academic stats and more qualitative factors like extracurriculars.Overview of the Classics Major
What to Look for in a College as a Classics Major
Focused Study Abroad Programs
Extracurricular Lectures
Research Funding
List of All U.S. Colleges With a Classics Major
School
Location
Samford University
Birmingham, Alabama
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas
California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State
Long Beach, California
University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley
Berkeley, California
University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine
Irvine, California
University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside
Riverside, California
University of California, San Diego | UCSD
La Jolla, California
University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB
Santa Barbara, California
University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC
Santa Cruz, California
Claremont McKenna College | CMC
Claremont, California
Pitzer College
Claremont, California
Pomona College
Claremont, California
San Diego State University | SDSU
San Diego, California
San Francisco State University | SF State
San Francisco, California
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California
Scripps College
Claremont, California
Saint Mary’s College of California | St. Mary’s
Moraga, California
Stanford University
Stanford, California
University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA
Los Angeles, California
University of Southern California | USC
Los Angeles, California
University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut
University of Connecticut | UConn
Storrs, Connecticut
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Catholic University of America | CUA
Washington, D.C.
George Washington University | GW
Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C.
Howard University
Washington, D.C.
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Florida State University | FSU
Tallahassee, Florida
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Rollins College
Winter Park, Florida
University of South Florida | USF
Tampa, Florida
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Florida
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia
University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
University of Illinois at Chicago | UIC
Chicago, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | UIUC
Champaign, Illinois
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Southern Illinois University Carbondale | SIU
Carbondale, Illinois
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton, Illinois
Ball State University | BSU
Muncie, Indiana
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana
University of Evansville
Evansville, Indiana
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Valparaiso University | Valpo
Valparaiso, Indiana
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Transylvania University
Lexington, Kentucky
Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine
Colby College
Waterville, Maine
Johns Hopkins University | JHU
Baltimore, Maryland
Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland
College Park, Maryland
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
Assumption College
Worcester, Massachusetts
Boston College | BC
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Boston University | BU
Boston, Massachusetts
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Boston | UMass Boston
Boston, Massachusetts
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, Massachusetts
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Valley State University | GVSU
Allendale, Michigan
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan
Hope College
Holland, Michigan
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wayne State University | WSU
Detroit, Michigan
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
Concordia College (Minnesota)
Moorhead, Minnesota
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
College of St. Benedict | CSB
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi
University of Mississippi | Ole Miss
University, Mississippi
University of Missouri | Mizzou
Columbia, Missouri
Truman State University | TSU
Kirksville, Missouri
Saint Louis University | SLU
Saint Louis, Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
Saint Louis, Missouri
Westminster College (Missouri)
Fulton, Missouri
Carroll College
Helena, Montana
University of Montana
Missoula, Montana
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL
Lincoln, Nebraska
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire | UNH
Durham, New Hampshire
St. Anselm College
Manchester, New Hampshire
Drew University
Madison, New Jersey
Montclair State University | MSU
Montclair, New Jersey
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey
University of New Mexico | UNM
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Barnard College
New York, New York
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
Columbia University
New York, New York
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
City College of New York | CCNY
New York, New York
Hunter College | CUNY Hunter
New York, New York
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS
Geneva, New York
Hofstra University
Hempstead, New York
New York University | NYU
New York, New York
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York
The State University of New York at Albany | SUNY Albany
Albany, New York
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton
Vestal, New York
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Union College (New York)
Schenectady, New York
Yeshiva University
New York, New York
Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Greensboro | UNC Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
University of North Dakota | UND
Grand Forks, North Dakota
University of Akron
Akron, Ohio
Bowling Green State University | BGSU
Bowling Green, Ohio
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Denison University
Granville, Ohio
John Carroll University | JCU
University Heights, Ohio
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
Ohio State University | OSU
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio
College of Wooster
Wooster, Ohio
Wright State University
Dayton, Ohio
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Lewis & Clark College
Portland, Oregon
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Reed College
Portland, Oregon
Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University | CMU
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University | PSU
University Park, Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh | Pitt
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Joseph’s University | SJU
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island | URI
Kingston, Rhode Island
Roger Williams University | RWU
Bristol, Rhode Island
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina
University of South Carolina | USC
Columbia, South Carolina
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee
Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee
Sewanee, Tennessee
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Austin College
Sherman, Texas
Baylor University
Waco, Texas
Rice University
Houston, Texas
Southwestern University
Georgetown, Texas
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin
Austin, Texas
Texas Tech University | TTU
Lubbock, Texas
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas
Brigham Young University | BYU
Provo, Utah
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
University of Vermont | UVM
Burlington, Vermont
College of William & Mary | William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
Hampden‚ Sydney College | H‚ÄìSC
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia
University of Virginia | UVA
Charlottesville, Virginia
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington
Seattle Pacific University | SPU
Seattle, Washington
Washington State University | WSU
Pullman, Washington
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin‚ Milwaukee | UWM
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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