Beloit College was founded by the group Friends for Education, which was started by seven pioneers from New England who, soon after their arrival in the Wisconsin Territory, agreed that a college needed to be established. The group raised funds for a college in their town and convinced the territorial legislature to enact the charter for Beloit College on February 2, 1846. The first building (then called Middle College) was built in 1847, and remains in operation. Classes began in the fall of 1847, with the first degrees awarded in 1851.
The college became coeducational in 1895.[6] In 1904, Grace Ousley became the first African-American woman to graduate from the college.[7]
Although independent today, Beloit College was historically, though unofficially, associated with Congregationalism.[8]
The college remained very small for almost its entire first century, with enrollment topping 1,000 students only with the influx of World War II veterans in 1945–46. The "Beloit Plan" was a year-round curriculum introduced in 1964 that comprised three full terms and a "field term" of off-campus study.[3] The trustees returned to the two-semester program in 1978.
The campus has 20 conical, linear, and animal effigy mounds built between about 400 and 1200, created by Native Americans identified by archaeologists as Late Woodland people.[10][11] One of the mounds, in the shape of a turtle, inspired Beloit's symbol and unofficial mascot. The mounds on Beloit's campus are "catalogued" burial sites, and therefore may not be disturbed without a Wisconsin Historical Society permit. Several of the Beloit College sites have been partially excavated and restored, and material found within them—including pottery and tool fragments—is held in the college's Logan Museum of Anthropology.[10]
In 2008 Beloit College completed a 120,000sqft (11,000m2) Center for the Sciences, which was named the Marjorie and James Sanger Center for the Sciences in 2017.[12] The building was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification.[13] It also won a Design Excellence Honor Award in Interior Architecture from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2009.[13]
Marjorie and James Sanger Center for the Sciences
In 2010, Beloit College opened the Hendricks Center for the Arts, a 58,000-square-foot (5,400m2) structure with dance, music, and theater facilities. The building previously held the Beloit Post Office and later the Beloit Public Library. The renovation and expansion of the facility is the largest single gift in the college's history. The building is named after Diane Hendricks, chair of ABC Supply of Beloit, and her late husband and former college trustee Ken Hendricks.[14]
Two Beloit campus museums open to the public are run by college staff and students. The Logan Museum of Anthropology and the Wright Museum of Art were founded in the late 19th century. The Logan Museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, curates over 300,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects from 125 countries and over 600 cultural groups. The Wright Museum's holdings of over 8,000 objects include a large collection of original prints and Asian art. Both museums feature temporary special exhibitions year-round.
The Beloit College campus shows two sculptures by artist Siah Armajani, Gazebo for One Anarchist: Emma Goldman 1991 and The Beloit College Poetry Garden.[15]
College's average class size is around 12 students[4], with one-third of courses having 10 or fewer students.[26] Beloit College is ranked in the top 100 of U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings.[27] It also ranked highly as Most Innovative, Best Value, First-Year Experience, and Undergraduate Teaching.[28] Beloit College's average class size is around 12 students[4], with one-third of courses having 10 or fewer students.[26]
Majors & Degrees
Beloit offers over 70 undergraduate majors, minors, and programs.[29]
Ancient Mediterranean Studies
Anthropology
Applied Chemistry
Art (Studio Art)
Biochemistry
Biology
Business Management
Chemistry
Cognitive Science
Computer Science
Creative Writing
Critical Identity Studies
Data Analytics
Data Science
Economics
Education and Youth Studies
Environmental Biology
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Communication and Arts
Environmental Geology
Environmental Justice and Citizenship
French and Francophone Studies
Geology
Greek and Latin Studies
Health Sciences
Health and Society
History
International Relations
Japanese Language and Culture
Literary Studies
Mathematics
Media Studies
Performing and Applied Arts
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Quantitative Economics
Self-Designed Integrative Learning
Self-Designed Interdisciplinary Studies
Sociology
Spanish Language and Culture
Beloit also offers degree paths in:
Athletic Training Dual Degree
Engineering
Environmental Sciences
Finance Dual Degree
Nursing Dual Degree
Pharmacy Dual Degree
Pre-Law Advising
Pre-Medical Advising
Teacher Certification
Academic strengths include field-oriented disciplines such as anthropology and geology. Its three most popular majors, by 2024 graduates, were Social Sciences, Biological/life sciences, and Physical sciences, [4] a slight shift from 2021's most popular majors Biology/Biological Sciences, Psychology, and Business/Managerial Economics.[30] In 2012, the college ranked among the top 20 American liberal arts colleges whose graduates go on to earn a Ph.D.[31]
Middle College overlooking the Beloit campus
Schools & Departments
Beginning in late 2023, Beloit launched five schools within the college. [32]
School of Business
The School of Business launched late 2023[32], focusing on a interdisciplinary business curriculum aligning with its liberal arts core.[33] Majors include business management, economics, and quantitative economics. It operates out of Pearson's Hall, which was part of the college's $20 million investment in renovating campus spaces.[34] The director of the School of Business is Diep Phan, a professor of economics and business at Beloit since 2009.[32]
The college created a Center for Entrepreneurship known as CELEB, founded by Professor of Economics Emeritus Jerry Gustafson (Beloit '63).[35] CELEB is a student-driven program housed off-campus. The space includes an entrepreneurship lab, public art gallery, TV & media lab, recording studio, and maker lab.
School of Health Sciences
The School of Health Sciences at Beloit opened alongside the School of Business in late fall 2023/early 2024.[36] It is home to major paths focused in the healthcare field. The school also partners with other local institutions to provide various paths to health-related fields. In November 2023, Beloit partnered with the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to provide a path toward a Pharmacy Doctorate Degree.[37] In October 2025, Beloit partnered with neighboring state Des Moines University to offer various pathways from bachelors to graduate-level heath science degrees.[38] Beloit also partnered with Edgewood University in 2024 to offer dual-degree RN to BSN program.[39]
The SHS is headed by Rachel A. Bergstrom, PhD, an associate professor of biology at Beloit.[40]
School of Environment and Sustainability
The School of Environment and Sustainability launched in 2024 and is home to degree paths aimed at environmental study and sustainability impact. Majors include biology, chemistry, education and youth studies, environmental biology, environmental chemistry, environmental communication and arts, environmental geology, environmental justice and citizenship, geology, and political science. The director of the school is Jay Zambito, the department chair for Geology at Beloit.[41]
The geology department continues a tradition that began with Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin more than a century ago. It combines a course load with field methods and research. The department is a member of the Keck Geology Consortium, a research collaboration of several similar colleges across the United States, including Amherst College, Pomona College, and Washington and Lee University. The Consortium sends undergraduate students worldwide to research and publish their findings.
School of Global & Public Service
The School of Global and Public Service launched in November 2024 and is home to its majors that focus on public, private, and non-profit social justice and human rights advocacy.[42] Bachelors degrees include anthropology, critical identity studies, education and youth studies, French and Francophone studies, history, international relations, Japanese language and culture, political science, psychology, sociology, and Spanish language and culture. The director of this school if Beth Dougherty, Manger Professor of International Relations.[43]
School of Media and the Arts (SoMA)
The School of Media and the Arts is home to the college's various artistic and visual majors.[44] Majors include creative writing, media studies, performing and applied arts, and studio art. The Hendricks Center for the Arts is home to SoMA, which houses studios, performance spaces, and other campus activities.[45] The School of Media and the Arts is led by Cullyn Murphy, Assistant Professor of Music and Media Studies at Beloit.[46]
Student life
Beloit students' housing options range from substance-free dormitories to special interest houses, such as the Art, Spanish, Outdoor Environmental Club (OEC), and interfaith options.[47] Beloit College has fraternities and sororities.[48] The school also has over 45 student organizations and clubs.[49] As of 2022, there is a creative writing club called the Aardvark Authors.[50]
The student newspaper, The Round Table, was founded in 1853 as the Beloit Monthly.[51] The student radio station, WBCR-FM, operates at 88.3MHz and streams online.[52]
Eaton Chapel
Beloit College has a frisbee golf course contained almost entirely within the college grounds. In April 2006, Beloit students broke the world record for the longest game of Ultimate Frisbee, playing for over 72 hours.[53]
In 2011 Beloit College received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Campus Internationalization.[54] 48 states are represented at the college and approximately 14% of the student body is from countries outside the United States.[55] In addition, about half of all Beloit College students study abroad in places such as China, Russia, Brazil, Germany, India, and Spain. Each year, students can share their experiences abroad on "Beloit and Beyond" Day, when all classes are canceled so that everyone can attend the presentations.[56]
The "Mindset List", an annual list of the life experiences of entering college freshmen, originated at Beloit College in 1998. In 2019, the list moved to Marist College.[57]
In 1969, like many campuses across the country, Beloit College received a set of demands from Black students called "The Black Demands".[58] Various students protested by overtaking Middle College, turning it into a Black Cultural Center, and gathering in front of the Richardson Auditorium before a scheduled board of trustees meeting. The demands were met but the college has not successfully implemented all of them, such as increasing the percentage of both black faculty and students to 10%. In 2018 Beloit College edited its bias policy to add a section on hate acts in order to address hate acts that occurred in 2006, 2015 and 2017.[59]
Athletics
Beloit athletics monogram
Beloit teams are nicknamed the Buccaneers. The university competes at the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Midwest Conference and fields varsity teams in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's soccer, and esports. Notable successes include baseball coach Dave DeGeorge recording his 558th career win. DeGeorge’s teams have won three conference titles in twelve Midwest Conference Tournament appearances. Student-athletes earned All-American honors (Nate Otis track & field) and Scholar All-American Honors (Helena Harrison diving). Beloit College plans to build on past successes by appointing Pat Miller as Athletic Director.
Recognition
In 2025, The Princeton Review listed Beloit College among the 391 Best Colleges[60]. Likewise, U.S. News & World Report gave Beloit top rankings for 2025 Best Colleges rankings, Most Innovative, Best Value, First-Year Experience, and Undergraduate Teaching.[28] Beloit College consistently ranks among the nation’s top 100 liberal arts colleges. In their unique ranking based on their assessment of the college’s contribution to the public good, the Washington Monthly ranked Beloit College number 23 in the nation.[61]Niche ranks Beloit College as 737 of 1,6134 Best Colleges in America, 13 of 33 Best Colleges in Wisconsin, 43 of 1,615 in Most Diverse Colleges in America, 68 of 932 in Most Liberal Colleges in America, and 101 of 181 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America.[62]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
