Loras College

Students at Loras College take part in more than fifty clubs, organizations, and intramural activities, with options ranging from campus planning and service projects to sports such as pickleball. Residence choices include traditional halls, apartments, and houses, while first-year students live in Binz, Rohlman, or Beckman Hall. Launch, a required three-day orientation, helps new students build relationships and become familiar with campus. Loras is in Dubuque, known for scenic beauty and outdoor recreation in the tri-state area.

Academic life reflects Loras's Catholic liberal arts identity and its focus on truth, respect, responsibility, excellence, and service. Founded in 1839, it was Iowa's first institution of higher learning and the seventh-oldest Catholic college or university in the United States. Intimate classes and strong student-faculty relationships support critical thinking and intellectual flexibility. The foundational curriculum includes ethics, philosophy, and theology, while internships, study away, service learning, and student research connect coursework with practical experience.

Students planning international study can choose full-semester and short-term programs across academic disciplines, including locations in Buenos Aires, Dublin, Santiago de Compostela, and Lisbon. Loras says program credits transfer to the College and can count toward a major or minor. Semester applicants need at least a 2.5 GPA, good academic standing, advisor approval, and a financial planning appointment. Eligible students may apply institutional, state, and federal aid to a semester abroad, while program costs can include tuition, housing, meals, insurance, travel, visas, and daily expenses.