Viterbo is located in beautiful La Crosse, Wis.—a city with a population of 52,000 amid majestic bluffs and scenic valleys near the Mississippi River. U.S. News & World Report named La Crosse as one of the nation's 10 Best Places to Live. Campus academic and residential facilities are located on approximately two acres on the city's south side. Viterbo's soccer, softball, and baseball fields, are located approximately 3.5 miles north of the main campus.
Quick Facts
President
Richard B. Artman, Ph.D.
Location
Viterbo's main campus is located in La Crosse, Wis., with satellite centers in West Allis, Wis., and Des Moines, Iowa
Identity Statement
Founded and sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA), Viterbo is a Catholic, Franciscan University in the liberal arts tradition.
Mission
The Viterbo University community prepares students for faithful service and ethical leadership.
Origin of Name
The city of Viterbo in Italy is the namesake of the university. Viterbo was home to St. Rose of Viterbo. This young Franciscan woman is the patroness of the FSPA, the order of sisters which founded Viterbo.
Founders
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (1890)
Historical Milestones
1890 – Founded as St. Rose Normal School by FSPA
1937 – Renamed Viterbo College
1943 – Lay women are first admitted
1971 – Men are admitted
1987 – Graduate programs are introduced
1999 – D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership is established
2000 – Viterbo acquires university status
Academic Calendar
Viterbo has term, semester, and weekend sessions throughout the calendar year.
Demographics
Full-time 74%, Part-time 26%
Female 70%, Male 30%
Enrollment
3,192 overall studentsfall 2010
2,279 total undergraduate headcount
919 total graduate headcount
Budget/Personnel
$50,034,148 budget
300 full and part-time permanent employees
Financial Aid
97% of our undergraduate students receive financial aid; more than 100 scholarship funds and an array of aid packages; average financial aid need met is 86%
Undergraduate Class Sizes
Average class size is 16; typical lab size is 24; no classes are taught by teacher assistants or graduate students
Programs of Study
50 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 5 graduate degrees, multiple certification programs
Schools, (Undergraduate FTE)
- School of Nursing, (32%)
- School of Letters and Sciences, (31%)
- School of Business, (15%)
- School of Fine Arts, (11%)
- School of Education (6% – 11% if secondary education majors are included in the School of Education.)
- Undeclared, (3%)
- Non-Degree, (2%)
- Center for Adult Learning
Graduate Programs
- Master of Arts in Education
- Master of Arts in Servant Leadership
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Science in Nursing
Faculty
1:14 Faculty to Student Ratio (FTE)
Placement
Placement rates exceeding 98% for more than the past decade
Total Alumni
17,743
Technology
Student to computer ratio 7:1; Student accessible wireless network throughout campus
Tuition
Full-time undergraduate tuition $21,870
School Colors
Cardinal and Silver
Athletics
Viterbo is a member of the NAIA, Midwest Collegiate Conference. The university offers: men's basketball, baseball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, track (indoor/outdoor); women's basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track (indoor/outdoor), and volleyball
Athletic Distinctions
We are committed to the true spirit of competition. Viterbo embraces the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character program which are respect, integrity, responsibility, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.
Viterbo is the recipient of the 2009 MCC President’s Cup award for academic excellence. Awarded to the conference school that has the highest percentage of varsity student-athletes with a 3.25 or better grade point average. Fifty-three percent of Viterbo student-athletes had a GPA of 3.25 or better.
Campus Facilities
- San Damiano Chapel (1914)
- Student Development Center (1926)
- Murphy Center (1941)
- Brophy Center (1954)
- Marian Hall (1957)
- Bonaventure Hall (1965)
- Fine Arts Center (1970)
- Treacy House (1975)
- McDonald Terrace (1975)
- Varsity Athletics Center (1987)
- Rose Terrace (1997)
- Outdoor Athletics Complex (1998)
- Physical Plant Building (2001)
- D.B. and Marge Reinhart Center for Ethics, Science, and Technology (2003)
- Amie L. Mathy Center for Recreation and Education (2005)
- School of Nursing Building (2011)
Distinctive Strengths
- Tradition
One of only 20 Franciscan universities located in the U.S., Viterbo’s Franciscan values-based education features opportunities for leadership linked to service and a strong emphasis on ethics.
- Academic Distinction
Superb science, arts, education, and health care programs. For example, our School of Nursing enjoys a superlative reputation. Viterbo graduates more four-year nurses than any other private university in Wisconsin. Nearly one in five Wisconsin private college nursing graduates was a Viterbo student.
- Student Engagement
Viterbo University has been admitted
to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. To be
admitted to the Honor Roll, a school must demonstrate that its students,
faculty, and staff are engaged in meaningful service that achieves measurable
results in the community.
- Success
The university’s graduate programs enjoy an excellent reputation, graduating nearly 500 students per year in education, nursing, business, and servant leadership.
- Integrity
Speakers of all persuasion experience the hospitality of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership, discussing compelling issues of the day while searching for common ground and a better insight into the most urgent challenges of our time.
- Cultural Showcase
The magnificent Fine Arts Center attracts over 96,000 patrons annually—adults and children alike—to concerts, shows, lectures, and theatrical performances.
Accreditation/Approvals
Viterbo University is committed to meeting the highest academic standards measured by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutes of Higher Education (HLC). The university offers excellent opportunities for students transferring from similar colleges and universities which have met the stringent guidelines of their regional accrediting commissions. We have a transfer policy that students find accommodating from any of the six regional accrediting bodies located throughout the U.S. The university does not accept credits from non-regionally accredited institutions. We urge all students to verify that the institution where they take courses is regionally accredited to ensure that their coursework can be considered for transfer to any regionally accredited university or college at the graduate or undergraduate level.
Viterbo University is accredited/approved by:
- American Chemical Society
- Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Council on Social Work Education
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and
Programs
- National Association of Schools of Music
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- Wisconsin State Board of Nursing
Viterbo University is recognized by the State Department of Public Instruction for the certification of teachers in the elementary and secondary schools and for the training of veterans.
Viterbo University holds membership in the:
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- Attorney General’s List for Foreign Students
- Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
- Council on Postsecondary Accreditation
- National Catholic Educational Association
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities