Why St. Ambrose?

Personal attention, full support and academic challenge

New surroundings, new freedom and new responsibility—it’s a lot of fun, and a little stressful. We’re here to make your transition to Ambrose as smooth as possible. Our attentive faculty members, residential advisors, counselors and resources like Student Success Center, First Year Experience, and Career Center ensure you’ll get the most out of your Ambrose experience.

• He’s dressed the casts of Broadway shows, NBC’s Today, and most recently Tina Fey’s turn as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, but it’s the trips back to his alma mater that Brian Hemesath ‘94 considers his rewards. He’s designed costumes for Ambrose productions of Tartuffe, James and the Giant Peach, and City of Angels. Hemesath enjoys the chance to share his expertise with students and work with the instructors who helped him get where he is today.
• Liz Johnson ’02 says that her education and time at Ambrose have helped her find her niche. Chosen as one of six local interior designers to compete for the honor of being Denver’s favorite up-and-coming designer, she transformed a high-rise apartment on a limited time and budget. To furnish her apartment, Johnson went green, getting people and companies to donate time and furniture. Proceeds from the project went to the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. “Being involved and working with caring faculty have helped me gain independence and life skills.”

Social justice experiences open up new opportunities

Initiatives like Ambrose Women for Social Justice and annual conferences hosted by the School of Social Work help shape the character of education at Ambrose. Students find that this commitment to social justice issues molds who they are, too.

• Matt Ehlman ‘02 spent his first year out of college working with Lakota children in the Red Cloud Indian School System. By working at a grassroots level (even driving a school bus), he’s working together with Native Americans to better their life, both on the reservation, and in the world. Years later, Ehlman is continuing his life’s work as Vice President for Advancement at Red Cloud Indian School.
• After her experience in an Environmental Studies class, Sarah Ford ‘07 wrote a proposal outlining how Port Byron could become a sustainable community. After presenting her work to the village council, they were so impressed that she was put in charge of their first Green Committee. She’s organized Port Byron’s first Earth Day and is the new president of Greenlife, Ambrose’s environmental student group. She’s only just begun to explore her leadership potential—and her ability to make a real difference.

Our liberal arts tradition

Our focus on the liberal arts will open your mind to connections between disciplines and help you understand how theory can be applied. For example, in your ethics class, instead of just reading about theory, you’ll read about people and events that the theory could be applied to (mass murderer Charles Manson or the Holocaust) and how it could be taken in the wrong direction.

Live in comfort

Known as the best college housing in the Midwest, St. Ambrose's residence halls feature large rooms with cable TV and high-speed Internet access, kitchens, private bathrooms and even housekeeping services. Students often make friends for life in their residence halls.

A campus bustling with activity

You can continue to perform in the arts, just as you did in high school, without majoring in the field, or compete on one of Ambrose’s 22 varsity athletics teams. We’re one of the winningest colleges in our conferences.

And you can get involved right away. At our annual Club Fest, representatives from all our clubs and organizations will be on hand to tell you what they’re all about. With nearly 30 groups to choose from, it's easy to find other people doing what you want to do.

Quad Cities has something for everyone

Whether it's Broadway in the Park at Music Guild, our Quad City Flames pro hockey team or improvisational stand-up at Comedy Sportz, there is something sure to catch your interest. Art galleries, festivals, coffee shops, nightclubs and shopping—the Quad Cities’ low cost of living and wide variety of activities add fun to every semester.