Loyola's student-support system is a real strengthOne of the programs I would definitely highlight is Messina, Loyola's year-long first-year experience. First-year students take two seminars with a group of roughly 15–16 classmates, develop relationships with faculty and administrators, and receive support from an upper-class student mentor known as an Evergreen. The program addresses academic adjustment, workload, mental health, relationships, and learning how to navigate both Loyola and Baltimore. There is also an Academic Mentor Program, tutoring and academic support, a Writing Center that assists more than 1,300 students in a typical year, academic advising, and accommodations for students with documented learning disabilities and ADHD. First-generation student supportThis is particularly worth mentioning for the College4All audience. Loyola has a dedicated First-Generation Student Success effort. Its LUCEAT peer mentors work with first-year students throughout their entire first year, while the ONE FAMILY pre-fall program helps students become familiar with campus resources and develop a community before classes begin. The new Nursing majorThis is important to clarify because it is no longer just being planned.Loyola's Bachelor of Science in Nursing officially launched in Fall 2025, with an inaugural cohort of approximately 30 students. Loyola plans eventually to grow the entering nursing cohort to approximately 110 students per year. Students begin nursing-specific coursework during their first year, rather than waiting until junior year. Clinical education is being developed through Loyola's partnership with Mercy Medical Center in downtown Baltimore. Another important admissions point: Nursing is direct-entry. Students need to apply directly to the nursing program as first-year applicants; students admitted to another Loyola major currently cannot simply switch into nursing later. Loyola is also expanding its physical facilities for health and STEM education. The expanded Donnelly Science Center and new Bloomfield Hall include nursing simulation spaces, research labs, classrooms, and collaborative areas. And Nursing isn't the only new directionThis is actually a very interesting period for Loyola.For students entering in Fall 2026, Loyola's Sellinger School of Business has introduced three new undergraduate majors:
- B.S. in Real Estate
- B.B.A. in Digital Marketing and Analytics
- B.S. in Financial Risk Management and Insurance
Loyola has also expanded health and STEM offerings in recent years with programs including Data Science, Forensic Science, Forensic Pattern Analysis, Biological Forensics, Biohealth, Biochemistry, Environmental Science, and several pre-health pathways. That makes a useful point for prospective students: Loyola is still grounded in the traditional Jesuit liberal-arts model, but it is deliberately adding career-focused programs in areas where employers need graduates.Career preparationLoyola's Rizzo Career Center offers individual career advising, résumé help, interview preparation, career assessments, Handshake opportunities, internships, career fairs, employer connections and alumni networking. Career services remain available to alumni after graduation as well.
