How are Jesuit colleges different from other schools?
Dear Straight Dope: In our search for the right college, my daughter and I have found several private colleges and universities that claim to be Jesuit institutions. Would you please explain what this means as opposed to traditional schools? — The Howells in Oxford, MS Well, I’m a product of a Jesuit school. That might frighten you off right there. There are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, among them some of the top schools in the nation. Some of the better known Jesuit institutions are Georgetown University, Boston College, Fordham University, and Loyola University. According to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, “though each institution is separately chartered by the state and is legally autonomous under its own board of trustees, the 28 schools are bonded together by a common heritage, vision and purpose.” So who are these Jesuits and what is their purpose? The Jesuits, or more accurately The Society of Jesus, are the largest Catholic reli
