Students from across the country come to Briar Cliff University for a values-based education rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan traditions of academic excellence, preparation for career success, and a warm and welcoming community. The campus is a unique community nestled in the lush, rolling hills of northwest Iowa. Students and visitors describe Briar Cliff as caring, family-oriented and comfortable. Students can choose from over 40 areas of study, including a number of interdepartmental and divisional majors, and pre-professional programs including nursing, business, social work, education and mass communications. The average class size is about 20 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1. Graduate programs are offered in nursing, education, and human resource management. Briar Cliff students thrive in a campus environment that supports their personal growth and professional promise. They receive individualized attention from their professors inside and outside the classroom. Students are encouraged to drop in and visit with faculty who maintain an open-door policy. Generous scholarship programs and financial aid allows students from all economic circumstances to share in the college experience. A campus-wide commitment to technology gives students what they need to succeed. The campus is alive with a full calendar of activities, including a wide range of men's and women's competitive athletics, social activities, cultural events, service opportunities, and spiritual offerings. Additionally, numerous internships, field studies, and research opportunities are hallmarks of Briar Cliff's hands-on approach to career preparation. Briar Cliff graduates boast an impressive career placement rate, and a high acceptance rate to graduate school and professional programs. More than 96 percent of our students enter graduate school or obtain employment in their chosen fields within six months of graduation. The fully wired campus is convenient for all students who bring computers and those who rely on the campus labs. Each residence hall room is wired for the Internet and campus network system and each residence hall has multiple student computer labs that are accessible 24 hours a day. Many of the labs in the academic buildings are also accessible 24 hours a day. The campus is located where the state of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota meet and at the edge of urban development. Just minutes from downtown Sioux City (tri-state metro population: 143,000), the Briar Cliff campus includes three academic buildings, four residence halls, a chapel, library, Newman Flanagan Center (athletic facility), Stark Student Center, and the McCoy Arnold Center (multi-purpose recreation center).