Mission and Message
Mission Statement
Arrupe College is a two-year college of Loyola University Chicago that continues the Jesuit tradition of offering a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse population, many of whom are the first in their family to pursue higher education.
Using an innovative model that ensures affordability while providing care for the whole person—intellectually, morally, and spiritually—Arrupe prepares its graduates to continue on to a bachelor’s program or move into meaningful employment. Heeding the call of its namesake, renowned Jesuit leader Pedro Arrupe, S.J., the college inspires its students to strive for excellence, work for justice, and become “persons for and with others.”
Message from the Dean
Welcome to Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, a nationally recognized model for accessible, high-impact university education. At Arrupe, we offer more than a degree—we provide an affordable, supportive, and transformative college experience rooted in the values of justice, equity, and community. Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college, and we are proud to walk with them every step of the way.
Arrupe is a place where possibility becomes reality. Where students discover their strengths, build meaningful relationships, and gain the confidence to shape a future that matters—not only for themselves, but for their families and communities. Here, learning is not just about acquiring knowledge, but about using it to make a difference in a complex and ever-changing world. We prepare students to think critically, to act with compassion, and to engage the world with purpose—true to our mission of forming people for and with others.
Our model supports students to pursue an associate’s degree in liberal arts, business, or social and behavioral sciences and graduate in two years with little to no debt. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to nurturing each student’s gifts and helping them grow—in confidence, in skill, and in purpose.
As you begin to map out your college journey, I encourage you to reach out. The folks in our Office of Admission are eager to share more about how Arrupe College can help you achieve your goals and make a lasting impact.
Fr. Martin T. Connell, S.J., PhD (BA '87)
Dean
Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago
Who was Pedro Arrupe?
ARRUPE COLLEGE IS NAMED after Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., a Jesuit priest who was born in Spain in 1907 and dedicated his life to helping others.
Father Arrupe (pronounced Ah-roop-eh) studied medicine as a young man, but he abandoned his medical training to enter the Society of Jesus in 1927. He was ordained in 1936 and, within a few years, was sent to Japan to work as a missionary.
During World War II, Father Arrupe was teaching on the outskirts of Hiroshima when the first atomic bomb fell. Using the medical training he learned in his youth, Father Arrupe transformed the Jesuit residences into a makeshift hospital to care for the injured and dying.
In 1965 he was elected superior general of the Society of Jesus, a position he held until 1983. As the leader of Jesuits around the world, Father Arrupe helped guide the order through the changes of Vatican II and focused his tenure on working with the poor and marginalized.
Father Arrupe, who died in 1991, made it his life’s work to educate men and women to serve others—an ideal that now guides Jesuit schools across the world.
Read more about Father Arrupe here; watch a documentary about his life here.
Welcome to Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, a nationally recognized model for accessible, high-impact university education. At Arrupe, we offer more than a degree—we provide an affordable, supportive, and transformative college experience rooted in the values of justice, equity, and community. Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college, and we are proud to walk with them every step of the way.
Arrupe is a place where possibility becomes reality. Where students discover their strengths, build meaningful relationships, and gain the confidence to shape a future that matters—not only for themselves, but for their families and communities. Here, learning is not just about acquiring knowledge, but about using it to make a difference in a complex and ever-changing world. We prepare students to think critically, to act with compassion, and to engage the world with purpose—true to our mission of forming people for and with others.
Our model supports students to pursue an associate’s degree in liberal arts, business, or social and behavioral sciences and graduate in two years with little to no debt. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to nurturing each student’s gifts and helping them grow—in confidence, in skill, and in purpose.
As you begin to map out your college journey, I encourage you to reach out. The folks in our Office of Admission are eager to share more about how Arrupe College can help you achieve your goals and make a lasting impact.