Benedictine is a church-affiliated, liberal arts college. It is the product of the 1971 merger of St. Benedict''s Abbey (founded in 1859) and St. Scholastica''s Academy (founded in 1924); coeducation was adopted in 1971. Its two campuses of 200 acres are located a mile and a half apart, in a residential area of Atchison, 60 miles from Kansas City. Campus architecture includes Tudor-Gothic and modern styles.