Patrick Henry College

What is the history of Patrick Henry College?

Patrick Henry College opened in 2000 in Purcellville, Virginia. Its founding purpose was to offer a Christian liberal arts education with a particular emphasis on public service and civic leadership. Michael Farris, a lawyer and homeschooling advocate, was its founding president.

The college developed as a small residential institution rather than a branch of a larger university. Its programs in government, journalism and strategic intelligence reflect its longstanding interest in public affairs, while its liberal arts curriculum and Christian commitments remain central to its identity.

What are the faculties and departments at Patrick Henry College?

Patrick Henry College is a small, primarily undergraduate liberal arts college, not a university organized into numerous professional schools. It offers bachelor's-level study across the humanities, social sciences and selected applied fields.

Its academic offerings include government, strategic intelligence, journalism, history, literature and classical liberal arts, as well as business- and environmental-related study. Applicants should consult the current academic catalog for exact major names, concentrations and course requirements. The college's common liberal arts curriculum means that a student's education extends beyond the chosen major; that structure is worth examining if a prospective student wants a highly specialized program from the first year.

What is the location of Patrick Henry College?

Patrick Henry College is in Purcellville, a town in western Loudoun County, Virginia. The campus has a small-town setting, while the broader Washington, D.C., region provides potential access to internships and professional events.

Those regional opportunities can involve substantial travel rather than a short trip from campus. Students considering off-campus work should check the schedule and transportation arrangements for a specific placement. Washington Dulles International Airport is a useful airport for students traveling from other states. First-year students are permitted to register or park a car on campus, which may matter in a setting where a car can make regional travel easier.

What is the mission and vision of Patrick Henry College?

Patrick Henry College describes its mission in explicitly Christian and civic terms: it seeks to educate students for leadership and cultural engagement while grounding their studies in biblical commitments and the principles associated with the American founding. This is the college's stated educational purpose, not an independently measured outcome.

Its approach combines a broad liberal arts curriculum with a Christian worldview. Prospective students should read the college's current statement of faith, student conduct policies and academic catalog alongside its mission statement. Those documents explain how its religious commitments affect coursework and community expectations more concretely than a mission summary alone.