Mission
Saint Anselm College is a Catholic liberal arts college in the Benedictine tradition. The college offers students access to an educational process which encourages them to lead lives that are both creative and generous. Saint Anselm challenges its students to engage in the fullest experience of a liberal arts education, to free themselves from the strictures of ignorance, illiteracy and indecision, and to dedicate themselves to an active and enthusiastic pursuit of truth. It is through an appreciation of the several kinds of truth—scientific, technical, poetic, philosophical, and theological—that students learn to challenge both personal and social problems. 

Saint Anselm seeks to admit students who are capable of benefiting from the liberal arts education it offers. The college stands open to receive students of every race, national origin, and creed. Indeed, the college seeks to enroll a student body which reflects a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds. As a Catholic, Benedictine institution, Saint Anselm observes and promotes Christian and Catholic standards of value and conduct.  The college accepts and retains students on the condition that they respect and observe those standards.

Vision
As it approaches the 125th anniversary of its founding, Saint Anselm College, devoted to the highest ideals of liberal education and faithful to its Catholic and Benedictine identity, seeks to advance significantly as a leading liberal arts college. The college continues to strengthen its commitment to developing well-educated students with the skills to live as virtuous citizens and principled leaders. Guided by its convictions about the true nature of learning and human greatness, the college promotes rigorous intellectual inquiry that begins with a profound understanding of the spiritual and social dimensions of the human person.

Planning Strategies
Saint Anselm College undertakes the creation of a strategic plan that will significantly advance the college as a leading liberal arts college. As the college begins planning, we reflect on things that matter most and are worthy of influencing our future development. Therefore at every stage of the process, the following over-arching strategies will influence not only the goals and objectives of our strategic plan but the measurement of our success.

1. We are committed to developing and promoting a sustainable culture that is explicitly Catholic and Benedictine.
2. We are committed to creating and sustaining an atmosphere of Christian respect and love that embraces all persons.
3. We are committed to policies and practices that support a philosophy that is student-centered.
4. We are committed to an approach to education that is honest, rigorous, and holistic.
5. We are committed to principled and information-driven decision making.
6. We are committed to a college-wide culture of assessment as a basis for improvement.