Student Experience

You’re Welcome Here

Stand up. Speak out. Be heard. 
At Avila, you’re joining a community guided by 400+ years of social justice activism. Founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ), our Catholic identity is expressed through their progressive heritage. Devoted to the needs of ordinary people and serving “the dear neighbor without distinction,” today, the Sisters’ social justice influences are at the heart of everything we are as a community. 

As a student, you’ll find the Avila campus an inclusive and eclectic community with more than 40 student organizations, honor societies, and 14 NAIA varsity sports. Our largest student organization is OMSA (Office of Ministry, Spirituality & Action) which is open to all students of all faiths.  

  • 1,307 – number of students enrolled Fall 2022 
  • 1/3 – of our undergraduate students have transferred to Avila 
  • 40+ – student organizations and honor societies 
  • FREE – admission to performances inside the new Goppert Performing Arts Center 
  • FREE – admission to all Eagles games 
  • FREE – use of the fitness center and indoor track 
  • MASS – is voluntary, and all are welcome 
  • EAGLES NEST – Pool table, ping pong tournaments, board games, and giant beanbags
Two students playing pool in the Eagles Nest

Resident Students

With four residence halls, Avila offers a wide variety of housing options, including traditional double and triple rooms, four- five- and six-person suites, and four-bedroom suites with a shared kitchenette. All of our halls offer security entrances, lounges, study areas and activities through our Residence Hall Association.

Commuter Students

With two-thirds of our students living off-campus, we’ve made your home-away-from-home inviting and convenient:

  • Ample study nooks, common areas, and open spaces for you to use between classes
  • Access to the dining hall as well as vending machines and microwaves across campus
  • The Beak N Bean coffee shop
  • Three large, convenient parking lots
  • Our resident students enjoy access to all the organizations, activities, and resources.
Female student studying in the Learning Commons
Two students proudly holding up the personalized license plates they created at a campus carnival. Both license plates say "Eagles"

Transfer Students

You know what college is like, so you’ll quickly see why Avila is different:

  • The mentor mentality of our faculty
  • The welcoming feeling just walking across campus
  • Internship or undergraduate research experience opportunity

Adult Students

We’ve had more than 20 years of experience perfecting our higher education programs toward the unique needs of working adult students. You have a life, maybe even a family, to support, and you’re working as hard as you can. We understand. At Avila, you’ll earn your degree at the speed of life. And we’ll be here to help you every step of the way. Flexible scheduling. Accelerated formats. Online. Weekend intensives. You’ve got this.

Group of three adult students studying at a table in the Learning Commons
Classroom in the Learning Commons

Graduate Students

As an Avila grad student, you’ll have access to all of our campus resources. The Learning Commons. Free 24/7 tutoring. The Mabee Fieldhouse fitness center. Computer labs. But more importantly, you’ll have access to the expertise and networks of our amazing faculty.

International Students

Avila is an amazingly diverse campus with students representing more than 13 different countries. Our small class sizes and attentive faculty can make all of the difference to a student in the U.S. Located in a residential suburb of Kansas City, you’ll have access to all of the culture, shopping, dining, and entertainment of a major mid-Western city while having a quiet and safe community to come home to on campus.

Two students enjoying the free burgers at a campus carnival
Two students pose with their arms filled with stuffed animals inside Mabee Fieldhouse

“What I love about Avila is that the professors always push you to do and be better; they teach you how to be the best version of yourself and put you in the right path to achieve your dream career.”

Erika Vallone / Communications / ’20

Kansas City Here We Come!

The city is your playground. And your classroom. Avila’s 50-acre campus is tucked away in a peaceful, quiet suburb, but once you’re here you’re only 15 minutes away from everything Kansas City. World-class dining and entertainment. Shopping. Cultural attractions. And internships in a city filled with innovative companies and career-making opportunities.

woman at a restaurant style stove
Jerusalem Farm Fall Break
Group of people milling about outside Jerusalem Farm
Jerusalem Farm Fall Break
Group of students posing in front of "Welcome to the little city that does big things" sign
Okolona, MS Winter Trip
Group selfie of nine students
Okolona, MS Winter Trip
Avila groups head to West Virginia for Spring Break Service Trip pose in with their van
Heading to West Virginia for Spring Break Service Trip
Nazareth Farm WV - A group walk in the Appalachian Mountains
A walk in the Appalachian Mountains
Three students with lumber, saw horses and hand saw
Home repair at its best in West Virginia
Four students using construction tools
Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia—workin’ and havin’ some fun.
Five students in a dance line, kicking up their heals
Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia—workin’ and havin’ some fun.
landscape of building on Bethlehem Farm
Spring Break Trip to Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia
Eight student posing with goats at Boys Grow farm
Working with Boys Grow
Three students Making blankets for kids at Children’s Mercy Hospital
Project Linus: Making blankets at Children’s Mercy Hospital
Eight students with shovels, rakes, forks, and wheelbarrow gardening at St. James
Gardening at St. James
two students Mulching at Jerusalem Farm
Mulching at Jerusalem Farm
Two students picking up trash along the roadside
Dear Neighbor Day Cleanup
Avila Professor Robert Powell talking with a student
Academics
Graduate throws cap into the air
BSW Graduate
Three students taking a selfie on the football field sidelines
Community
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