Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University was founded in 2003 upon the vision of entrepreneur Tom Monaghan: Marian devotion, strong fidelity, quality academics, and an idyllic Florida community built around a Catholic parish church.

Ave Maria has a strong, liberal arts core curriculum including four Catholic theology and four philosophy courses, plus more than 30 majors. In the theology program, which includes master’s and doctoral degrees, all professors have a mandatum from the local bishop. About 90 percent of both students and professors are Catholic.

Spiritual life is faithfully Catholic and includes daily Masses and Confession, a chapel in every residence hall, 24-hour Eucharistic adoration, faith-centered student “households,” and availability of Extraordinary Form Mass at the nearby parish. All student residence halls are appropriately single-sex, and there is a sensible “open door” policy during limited hours of opposite-sex visitation to private rooms.

The South Florida location allows year-round outdoor activity, including public beaches 45 minutes from campus. There are more than 60 student clubs on campus and a growing number of varsity and junior varsity sports in the NAIA Sun Conference. The Town of Ave Maria offers a few shops, restaurants, and medical offices within walking distance, but otherwise the remote campus is a 20- to 40-minute drive from other conveniences and complete medical services.

When you consider the Catholic Marian identity, strong academics, faithful faculty, relatively low net price, and Florida sun, Ave Maria stands as an exciting option for Catholics today.

What we really like:

Ave Maria’s Catholic, Marian identity impacts nearly every aspect of the campus life and academics, including a strong Thomistic theology department and other impressive faculty. The surrounding town and community are friendly and mostly Catholic. Other highlights include its Shakespeare in Performance program and charitable activities in nearby Immokalee.