Academics
Students overwhelmingly choose the University of Dallas for its “liberal arts Core and strong Catholic identity,” saying that “what the University of Dallas offers is education as formation.” UD’s “Core curriculum forces you to learn an extensive amount of information and broadens your horizons in classical education,” and some of its 1,450 undergrads feel it makes UD “the best academically rigorous Catholic liberal arts university in the country.” As one student puts it, “UD has an incredibly strong Core program, and I wanted to make sure I left college with a comprehensive education. As a senior, I feel prepared for a job in any field.” Through “liberal education in the Western intellectual tradition, grounded on a firm fidelity to the Catholic Church,” “The University of Dallas strives for the attainment of the truth, by practicing virtue, in the light of wisdom.” Undergraduates report that “our professors’ dedication to our student body is truly inspiring. They are always available. They participate in school events. Their passion and expertise are tangible in class.” One student argues that because “the professors expect a lot out of students, they actually help students achieve new intellectual heights,” and another feels “like most professors are not satisfied with students just “getting by” and not truly learning, which makes for a rigorous and fruitful academic experience.” Students see themselves as united in UD’s “common sense of purpose” among “students, alumni, faculty, and the administration” to produce “independent and critically-thinking Catholics, able to communicate effectively with a keen understanding of what it means to be a socially aware and responsible person.” UD’s “study abroad program in Rome” is also hugely popular. “The success of our alumni is a testament to the quality of the education offered by the University of Dallas,” and “only at UD could the liberal arts meet the hard sciences in...a cohesive manner that produces truly well-rounded, well-spoken, independent intellectuals.”
Student Body
The typical UD student often, but not always, is “conservative and Catholic, regularly attends church, devotes a great deal of time to schoolwork, and drinks a significant amount from Thursday to Saturday.” Undergrads “all accept each other here no matter how different we are,” share “a desire to learn more about the world,” and are “friendly and intelligent enough to carry on a good conversation on nearly any subject.” Many grew up in “stable, middle-class, Christian homes,” and they pride themselves on being “very kind and Catholic.” “All students are warm and welcoming. Friendliness and agreeableness is an overwhelming feeling. Students need only be nice and approachable to fit in.” UD students call themselves “open” and “passionate,” and say that “students fit in really well here regardless of whether they come from different cultures or backgrounds.”
Campus Life
Of University of Dallas’s social culture, one student says, “The sport here is engaging in intellectual debates.” It’s widely agreed upon that “you can always find a good intellectual discussion at UD,” which “often gravitate towards your favorite books, a paper/project you’re working on or what your thesis is about. The whole world becomes your classroom, effectively.” “There is a wide variety of social milieus” and “quite a few people party hard, but there are plenty of musical, literary, or sporting opportunities for students.” UD has its “own train station as part of the Dallas Transit system, making excursions to downtown, Uptown, Deep Ellum, the Dallas House of Blues, and the Bishop Arts District very easy.” Also, the Dallas Museum of Art is free, and the university “does an outstanding job of making cheap tickets available for students to a variety of events—everything from Cowboys/Rangers/Mavericks games to the Dallas Opera and indoor skydiving.” “Two-stepping and swing dancing are popular favorites here” and “theological and academic lectures are also given some evenings.” Overall, “the University of Dallas is not all about academics, it’s about living a balanced life (spiritually, intellectually, and physically). So students bring all of these things together in practically everything they do.”
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