The University Development Foundation Welcomes Hillsdale College to Placer County
Michigan college to bring its educational mission to California
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College is pleased to announce the reception of a generous gift from The University Development Foundation (UDF) to establish an educational center in Placer County, California. This partnership is Hillsdale’s first step toward opening a center on the West Coast.
The gifted land is located in Placer County, just outside Sacramento, California, and consists of 1,100 acres. While initial plans are still underway, Hillsdale College currently plans to designate a portion of the land to serve as an educational center as befits the College’s mission. As provided by the gift, the remainder of the land will be developed and sold with the net proceeds dedicated to the College.
“Hillsdale College was founded 177 years ago with four purposes: learning, character, faith, and freedom,” said Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn. “This gift will help Hillsdale radiate its curriculum in the state of California and across the country. We are honored by it and grateful for it.”
The gift from the University Development Foundation is made possible by the generosity and planning of its board chair Julie Teel and board members Claudia Cummings, Gregory Graves, Dave Lucchetti, Scott Powell, Dave Siegel, and Kyriakos Tsakopoulos.
“We admire Hillsdale College’s work,” said Julie Teel, UDF board chairwoman. “It stays true to classical education, which it wants to share across the country. An education center in California is a great way to do that. UDF and its board members are proud to help bring it to Placer County.”
Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, who has established chairs at numerous colleges and universities across the nation, led the group that originally donated the 1,100 acres of land to UDF in 2012 for the purpose of expanding higher education in the Greater Sacramento Region. This group included prominent philanthropists William and Claudia Cummings and the Wayne Prim family who are thrilled that UDF has transferred the land to Hillsdale College. Angelo began the effort in the early 2000s and worked closely with leaders and staff in Placer County to process the
entitlements required to bring this ambitious vision to reality. Under the guidance of the Placer County Board of Supervisors, and the hard work and continuous dedication of Placer County staff, the project envisioned is becoming a reality.
“Understanding what it means to be a good human being and a good society is key to individual happiness as well as the survival of our Just nation, and indeed, of humankind itself”, said Angelo K. Tsakopoulos. “That is what a liberal arts education is all about. There is arguably no greater gift we can give to future generations than the opportunity to have a liberal arts education that includes an understanding of our founding principles and our United States Constitution.”
In the 2022 top college rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, Hillsdale College placed 46th among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Among all American colleges and universities, Hillsdale was ranked 14th for Most Students Receiving Merit Aid. Among American liberal arts colleges and universities, Hillsdale ranked 18th for Freshman Retention and 44th for Undergraduate Teaching.
Hillsdale College performed similarly well in the most recent edition of Princeton Review’s elite, national rankings, earning the distinction of being one of the best 387 colleges in the country. Hillsdale College also ranked among the top 158 Midwestern colleges and was recognized for professor accessibility and quality as well as Best Student Newspaper. The school’s student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1. Since its founding in 1844 by abolitionist Free Will Baptists, all who attend Hillsdale College are admitted without regard to race, sex, or national origin.
For most of its history, Hillsdale College operated exclusively in the state of Michigan. In 2010, Hillsdale opened a campus in Washington, D.C. In 2021, through the generosity of Pres and Helen Blake, Hillsdale College opened the Blake Center for Faith and Freedom in Somers, Connecticut.
Photos of the land and UDF board members Kyriakos Tsakopoulos, Julie Teel, and Dave Siegel can be found here. Drone footage can be found here.