Founded in 1853 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mount Aloysius College is a private, Catholic liberal arts institution located in Cresson, Pennsylvania. Originally established as St. Aloysius Academy in Loretto before moving to its permanent mountainside campus in 1897, the institution steadily evolved over the decades. It transitioned into a junior college in 1939 and later expanded its charter in 1991 to confer bachelor’s degrees, officially adopting its current name. In 2000, the college further broadened its academic reach to offer master's degree programs, anchoring its educational philosophy in the Mercy tradition of hospitality, justice, service, and mercy.
Academically, Mount Aloysius College is known for providing career focused undergraduate and graduate programs across fields like nursing, biology, criminology, and education. Maintaining a personalized learning environment, the college boasts an 11 to 1 student to faculty ratio and an average class size of just 14 students. This tight knit academic ecosystem allows faculty members to provide hands on mentorship, combining rigorous liberal arts foundations with practical clinical experiences, internships, and research opportunities designed to prepare students directly for the professional workforce.
Beyond the classroom, student life at Mount Aloysius College is vibrant and community oriented, drawing a diverse student body representing dozens of countries and numerous states. The campus features 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams alongside a wide array of student led clubs, organizations, and service initiatives that reflect the institution's core community values. By blending academic support, small class sizes, and a strong commitment to service learning, the college fosters an engaging environment where students can develop both professionally and personally.
The College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The college's specialized and professional programs maintain programmatic accreditations from industry specific bodies, ensuring that curricula meet high standards in fields such as nursing and allied health professions.
