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U.S. College & University Motto Survey
   

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Criteria & Methodology

More than 400 nominated U.S. college and university mottos from a universe of around 1,500 were sent to approximately 250 advertising, marketing, and branding professionals on both the client and agency side.

The survey was restricted to mottos from 4-year, accredited, not-for-profit, private and public, colleges and universities located in the United States.

Several sources were used to cross-check and verify the accuracy and currency of each motto. Both official and unofficial mottos were included in the survey – whether found on a college seal or used as a tagline by the academic institution as part of a marketing or fundraising campaign.

To level the playing field, only one motto or tagline was selected from each school. If the same motto was being used by more than one school, it was eliminated from consideration. 

All of the nominated and ranked mottos are presented in English despite the fact that many were originally written in another language (i.e., Latin, Greek, French, German, Italian, Hebrew, Aramaic, etc.). If multiple translations existed for the same motto, the one selected was generally the simplest and most direct in its message.

Respondents were asked to rank their top 10 mottos based on the following branding criteria:

  • Attributes: Does the motto embody a school’s character, style, or personality?

  • Message:  Does it tell a story in a compelling and memorable way?

  • Differentiation: Is it original in its attitude, point of view, or creative expression?

  • Ambassadorship:  Does it inspire you to want to go there, learn more, or donate more?

Selected mottos were given a weighted ranking based on the number of votes they received and the rank they were assigned in order to determine the top 100 college and university mottos.

Breakdown of the Top 100 College & University Mottos

Type of Institution: University (66%); College (32%); Other (2%)
Private or Public: Private (55%); Public (44%); Other (1%)
Century Founded: 1700s (4%); 1800s (65%); 1900s (31%)
States Represented: 40 plus the District of Columbia
Most Mottos by State: New York (8); Massachusetts (7); North Carolina (7); Ohio (5)

The 10 Most Common Words in U.S. College & University Mottos*
(in alphabetical order)

Excel/Excellence Learn/Learning
Experience Light
Freedom Truth
Future Wisdom/Wise
Know/Knowledge World

The Next 10 Most Common Words in U.S. College & University Mottos*
(in alphabetical order)

Art/Arts Humanity
Dreams Life/Live/Lives
Education Mind
Faith Science
God Virtue

*From a universe of approximately 1,500 colleges and universities.


Top 100 U.S. College & University Mottos

1.
Think one person can change the world? So do we.
Oberlin College •  Oberlin, OH • 1833 • Private
2.
A voice crying out in the wilderness.
Dartmouth College •  Hanover, NH • 1769 • Private
3.
Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.
Antioch College • Yellow Springs, OH • 1850 • Private
4.
Splendor without end.
Boise State University •  Boise, ID • 1932 • Public
5.
Be opened.
Gallaudet University •  Washington, D.C. • 1864 • Private
6.
North of ordinary.
University of Maine at Presque Isle • Presque Isle, ME • 1903 • Public
7.
We’re not for everyone... but then, maybe you’re not everyone.
Warren Wilson College •  Swannanoa, NC • 1894 • Private
8.
Duty, Honor, Country.
United States Military Academy • West Point, NY • 1802 • U.S. Service Academy
9.
The character of success.
Bryant University •  Smithfield, RI • 1863 • Private
10.
The wind of freedom blows.
Stanford University •  Stanford, CA • 1891 • Private
11.
To know is not enough.
Hampshire College •  Amherst, MA • 1965 • Private
12.
Let it all hang out.
Evergreen State College, The • Olympia, WA • 1967 • Public
13.
Thinking at the edge.
University of California at Santa Cruz • Santa Cruz, CA • 1962 • Public
14.
As an eagle towards the sky.
Bowdoin College •  Brunswick, ME • 1794 • Private
15.
That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.
Mount Holyoke College •  South Hadley, MA • 1837 • Private
16.
Naturally inspiring.
University of Alaska Fairbanks • Fairbanks, AK • 1917 • Public
17.
Minds move mountains.
University of Oregon •  Eugene, OR • 1876 • Public
18.
Creative thought matters.
Skidmore College •  Saratoga Springs, NY • 1922 • Private
19.
Investing in lifetimes.
Radford University •  Radford, VA • 1910 • Public
20.
To the stars through difficulties.
Campbell University •  Buies Creek, NC • 1887 • Private
21.
No one like you. No place like this.
University of North Florida • Jacksonville, FL • 1972 • Public
22.
Truth, even unto its innermost parts.
Brandeis University •  Waltham, MA • 1948 • Private
23.
Wisdom has built herself a home.
Rockhurst University •  Kansas City, MO • 1910 • Private
24.
Knowledge to go places.
Colorado State University  • Fort Collins, CO • 1870 • Public
25.
Rock solid education.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania • Slippery Rock, PA • 1889 • Public
26.
Let us dare.
Champlain College •  Burlington, VT • 1878 • Private
27.
Great stories begin here.
Adams State College •  Alamosa, CO • 1921 • Public
28.
From confidence, courage.
Dillard University • New Orleans, LA • 1930 • Private
29.
Start with a dream. Finish with a future.
Central Connecticut State University • New Britain, CT • 1849 • Public
30.
Above all nations is humanity.
University of Hawaii •  Honolulu, HI • 1907 • Public
31.
Why not change the world?
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Troy, NY • 1824 • Private
32.
Learning lives forever.
Southern Utah University  • Cedar City, UT • 1897 • Public
33.
Greatness within our grasp.
University of Vermont •  Burlington, VT • 1791 • Public
34.
More. From day one.
Indiana State University  • Terre Haute, IN • 1865 • Public
35.
Where the free spirit prevails.
University of Wisconsin – River Falls • River Falls, WI • 1874 • Public
36.
Bring wisdom to life.
Yeshiva University • New York City, NY • 1886 • Private
37.
Unto the whole person.
Hendrix College • Conway, AR • 1876 • Private
38.
Inspiring futures.
Barton College • Wilson, NC • 1902 • Private
39.
The power of AND.
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire • Eau Claire, WI • 1916 • Public
40.
Believe, belong, become.
Howard Payne University • Brownwood, TX • 1889 •  Private
41.
I would have perished had I not persisted.
Lesley University •  Cambridge, MA • 1909 • Private
42.
Achieve without conspicuousness.
Miami University •  Oxford, OH • 1809 • Public
43.
Announcement of your words illuminates.
Carleton College •  Northfield, MN • 1866 • Private
44.
That all may know you.
Niagara University •  Lewiston, NY • 1856 • Private
45.
Where passions soar.
Northern New Mexico College • Española, NM • 1909 Public
46.
Let knowledge increase, let life be perfected.
University of Chicago •  Chicago, IL • 1890 • Private
47.
A legacy of leading.
University of Idaho •  Moscow, ID • 1889 • Public
48.
Where excellence has many faces.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock • Little Rock, AR • 1927 • Public
49.
Strong truths well lived.
Loyola University Maryland • Baltimore, MD • 1852 • Private
50.
You can, at UNK.
University of Nebraska at Kearney • Kearney, NE • 1905 • Public
51.
Not more learned, but steeped in a better learning.
Haverford College •  Haverford, PA • 1833 • Private
52.
Challenge convention, change our world.
Clark College •  Worcester, MA • 1887 • Private
53.
Let them light up the world.
Amherst College •  Amherst, MA • 1821 • Private
54.
Not unmindful of the future.
Washington and Lee University • Lexington, VA • 1749 • Private
55.
We teach the mind to think, the hands to work, the heart to love.
Allen University •  Columbia, SC • 1870 • Private
56.
To value the better things.
Cardinal Stritch University • Milwaukee, WI • 1937 • Private
57.
Find your edge.
Hofstra University •  Hempstead, NY • 1935 • Private
58.
Learning without limits.
William Woods University  • Fulton, MO • 1870 • Private
59.
Boldly, happily, faithfully.
University of Louisiana, Lafayette • Lafayette, LA • 1898 • Public
60.
Wisdom is eternal.
University of Northern Colorado • Greeley, CO • 1889 • Public
61.
Strength rejoices in the challenge.
Hillsdale College •  Hillsdale, MI • 1844 • Private
62.
Driven by doing.
University of Memphis •  Memphis, TN • 1912 • Public
63.
One destination, many paths.
Mills College • Oakland, CA • 1885 • Private
64.
Let learning be cherished where liberty has arisen.
Davidson College •  Davidson, NC • 1837 • Private
65.
I lift my eyes to the mountains.
University of North Carolina at Asheville • Asheville, NC • 1927• Public
66.
Life, sweetness, hope.
University of Notre Dame  • South Bend, IN • 1842 • Private
67.
Get in. Stand out.
Lake Erie College •  Painesville, OH • 1856 • Private
68.
Whatever hazards, go forward.
Seton Hall University •  South Orange, NJ • 1856 • Private
69.
Today you learn. Tomorrow you lead.
Northern Arizona University • Flagstaff, AZ • 1899 • Public
70.
Let your light shine.
University of Colorado Boulder • Boulder, CO • 1876 • Public
71.
Your first step is to define yourself. Your destiny is to redefine the world.
Morehouse College •  Atlanta, GA • 1867• Private
72.
Think wide open.
State University of New York at Purchase • Purchase, NY • 1967 • Public
73.
The care of the future is mine.
Hunter College • New York City, NY • 1870 • Public
74.
Idea fusion.
Old Dominion University •  Norfolk, VA • 1930 • Public
75.
Ever to excel.
Boston College • Chestnut Hill, MA • 1863 • Private
76.
Liberal arts at work.
Albion College • Albion, MI • 1835 • Private
77.
Learning humanizes character and does not permit it to be cruel.
University of South Carolina • Columbia, SC • 1801 • Public
78.
The spirit makes the master.
Western Kentucky University • Bowling Green, KY • 1906 • Public
79.
In the mountains, of the mountains, for the mountains.
Lees-McRae College •  Banner Elk, NC • 1900 • Private
80.
To faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge.
West Virginia University  • Morgantown, WV • 1867 • Public
81.
Experience the spirit.
Union College • Lincoln, NE • 1891 • Private
82.
Ideas into action. Action into service.
American University •  Washington, D.C. • 1893 • Private
83.
All for one. One for all. That’s the power of X.
Xavier University •  Cincinnati, OH • 1831 • Private
84.
Learners becoming leaders.
Regis University •  Denver, CO • 1877 • Private
85.
The wise heart seeks knowledge.
Emory University •  Atlanta, GA • 1836 • Private
86.
Where dreams take root…and grow.
Morehead State University  • Morehead, KY • 1887 • Public
87.
Jersey roots. Global reach.
Rutgers University – Newark • Newark, NJ • 1946 • Public
88.
Touching tomorrow today. 
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania • Lock Haven, PA • 1870 • Public
89.
I delight in the truth.
Bryn Mawr College • Bryn Mawr, PA • 1885 • Private
90.
Values. Voice. Vision.
Ursuline College • Pepper Pike, OH • 1871 • Private
91.
Powering minds.
Arkansas State University  • Jonesboro, AR • 1909 • Public
92.
Dare to learn.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington • Wilmington, NC • 1947 • Public
93.
Think big. We do.
University of Rhode Island • Kingston, RI • 1892 • Public
94.
Dedicated to one goal. Yours.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana • Natchitoches, LA • 1884 • Public
95.
Shining with untarnished honor.
Wofford College •  Spartanburg, SC • 1854 • Private
96.
Do the view.
Grand View University •  Des Moines, IA • 1896 • Private
97.
Technically, we’re better.
Dakota State University •  Madison, SD • 1881 • Public
98.
The divine within the universe, however manifested, is my light.
University of Wisconsin – Madison • Madison, WI • 1848 • Public
99.
 A small college with a big reputation.
Harvey Mudd College •  Claremont, CA • 1955 • Private
100.
Beyond the mind.
Taylor University • Upland, IN • 1846 • Private
©2016 The Byline Group. All rights reserved. No portion of this list may be reproduced, sold, licensed, or bundled by any means, for commercial or other purposes, without the prior written consent of the site owner.

Top 10 Honorable Mention

1.
Knowledge crowns those who seek her.
Syracuse University • Syracuse, NY • 1870 • Private
2.
Minds that move the world.
San Diego State University • San Diego, CA • 1897 • Public
3.
Live, learn, lead.
Salisbury University • Salisbury, MD • 1925 • Public
4.
Laws without morals are useless.
University of Pennsylvania • Philadelphia, PA • 1740 • Private
5.
Work toward greatness.
Pace University • New York City, NY • 1906 • Private
6.
Let whoever earns the palm bear it.
University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA • 1880 • Private
7.
Following the way of reason.
Barnard College • New York City, NY • 1889 • Private
8.
Who shall separate us now?
Clemson University • Clemson, SC • 1889 • Public
9.
Empowering the mind. Enriching the spirit.
Concordia University Chicago • River Forest, IL • 1864 • Private
10.
Together we reach.
University of Utah • Salt Lake City, UT • 1850 • Public
©2016 The Byline Group. All rights reserved. No portion of this list may be reproduced, sold, licensed, or bundled by any means, for commercial or other purposes, without the prior written consent of the site owner.

Background of the Top 10 College & University Mottos

1.
Think one person can change the world? So do we.
Oberlin College •  Oberlin, OH • 1833 • Private
 

The top-ranked motto was created in the 1980s by either Al Moran, the then VP for Communications at Oberlin; or Anne Paine, who was publications director at the time. It also might have been a group effort that included Moran, Paine, and others. The motto was dropped in 2006 and replaced with We are Oberlin: Fearless. Negative student and alumni reaction to the new motto finally compelled the university, through the efforts of Ben Jones, VP for Communications, to bring back “Think one person...” in 2013. Enjoying widespread acceptance, the motto is regarded as timeless because it serves as an empowering call to action and recognizes the individual as a self-determining force in society. By the way, the official motto of Oberlin is Learning and labor, which harkens back to the school’s founding in 1833. Prior to the 1980s, the school’s motto was the lackluster phrase A place to thrive.

2.
A voice crying out in the wilderness.
Dartmouth College •  Hanover, NH • 1769 • Private
 

The motto is a translation from the Latin: Vox clamantis in deserto. It’s also been translated as The voice of one crying out in the wilderness. The origin of the expression is Isaiah 40:3, which has been translated as A voice crieth: clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness. Vox clamantis in deserto was chosen as the school’s motto in 1770 by Eleazar Wheelock, the founder of Dartmouth College, who wanted it embossed on the seal. Intended to be religious in nature (e.g., the search for God or pursuit of a higher truth), the motto has assumed a more secular meaning today (the search to find oneself), especially considering Dartmouth’s solitary location in rural New Hampshire!

3.
Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.
Antioch College • Yellow Springs, OH • 1850 • Private
 

The motto was coined by Horace Mann (1796-1859), Antioch’s first president, in his final commencement speech in 1859. The school, which has been associated with many social causes throughout its history, adopted the phrase as its motto soon afterwards. An obelisk on campus, which marks Mann’s original grave, bears the college's motto. Apparently, Antioch was the first co-ed college in the nation to offer the same educational opportunities to both men and women, and was the first to appoint a woman to its faculty and to its board of trustees. Unique among college and university mottos, this expression throws down the gauntlet to every student to live a meaningful life that serves humankind in the cause of peace, freedom, human rights, and the like.

4.
Splendor without end.
Boise State University •  Boise, ID • 1932 • Public
 

The motto was adopted in 1968 and appears in Latin (Splendor sine occasu) on the university seal, which features Boise’s natural environment. It should be noted that the same Latin motto has graced the provincial coat of arms of British Columbia since 1895. The motto was created by the Reverend Arthur Beanlands (1857-1917), a minister in the Anglican Church in Victoria, B.C., and is translated as Splendour without diminishment. It may not be as catchy as Splendor without end, but it’s the undeniable inspiration for the Boise State motto.

5.
Be opened.
Gallaudet University •  Washington, D.C. • 1864 • Private
 

The motto is translated from the Aramaic word Ephphatha, which literally means “Be Thou opened." It was uttered by Christ when healing the man who was deaf and dumb (Mark 7:34). The motto was probably adopted at the time of the school’s founding. Gallaudet was the first school for the advanced education of the deaf and hard of hearing in the world. The motto itself refers to opening up the horizons of deaf people and empowering them to assume a greater role in society. Some have suggested that the motto’s original intent was to foster the development of a deaf pastoral ministry that would bring Christ to people who share similar disabilities.

6.
North of ordinary.
University of Maine at Presque Isle • Presque Isle, ME • 1903 • Public
 

The motto was created in 1999 by Nancy Hensel, the former president of the University of Maine at Presque Isle, who served from 1999 to 2004. The motto was designed to capture the extraordinary nature of Presque Isle, which is located in Northern Maine. The motto, along with the compass, globe, and North Star depicted in the school’s logo, play upon the university’s northern location (Presque Isle is known as the “Star City.”) while promoting its positive and enduring qualities. For many, North of Ordinary suggests a life and education filled with robust physical, intellectual, and cultural adventures that cannot be experienced anywhere else.

7.
We’re not for everyone... but then, maybe you’re not everyone.
Warren Wilson College •  Swannanoa, NC • 1894 • Private
 

Founded by Presbyterian missionaries as a farm school for mountain youth, Warren Wilson is a small college with a strong emphasis on community, sustainability, and the value of service. It has a working farm and a carefully managed forest, and requires its students to perform volunteer work for 15 hours per week outside of school. U.S. News & World Report ranks Warren Wilson among the best regional liberal arts colleges in the South, and Time magazine rates it as one of the 20 prettiest colleges in the United States. So it may not be for everyone, but its special appeal, as reflected in its motto, speaks directly to the individual – to the one person for whom Warren Wilson would be the ideal choice.

8.
Duty, Honor, Country.
United States Military Academy • West Point, NY • 1802 • U.S. Service Academy
 

The motto and coat of arms for the U S. Military Academy were adopted in 1898 under the auspices of Col. Charles W. Larned, a professor of drawing, who headed up the committee to create an enduring symbol for the Academy. Duty, Honor, Country was intended to represent the time-honored ideals of West Point. The word, honor, is in the center of the motto and forms the keystone of the arch depicted on the coat of arms. Since 1923, the coat of arms has been in regular use at West Point and is carved on many of the older buildings. In 1980, the coat of arms was registered with the Library of Congress as the logo for the Academy.

On May 12, 1962, General Douglas MacArthur accepted the Sylvanus Thayer Award at West Point, and in his remarks to the cadets he spoke eloquently of the motto and its meaning: “Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn…The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule. But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the Nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid…”

9.
The character of success.
Bryant University •  Smithfield, RI • 1863 • Private
 

The motto, originally expressed in Latin as Cognitio, virtus, successus, means “Knowledge, character, success.” It remains unchanged to this day but Bryant’s current day motto is translated into The character of success, which has decidedly better flow and more depth. In either case, the motto is designed to express the purpose of the university, namely, to encourage and instill character development in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. The school actually developed a task force to provide a benchmark for measuring progress in the areas of character development – from self-management and integrity to responsibility and respect for self and others.

10.
The wind of freedom blows.
Stanford University •  Stanford, CA • 1891 • Private
 

The only motto in the “Top 100” to be translated from the German is Die luft der freiheit weht, which, although depicted on the university seal and elsewhere, is considered Stanford’s unofficial motto. Translated as The wind of freedom blows, the phrase is a quote from Ulrich von Hutten, a 16th century scholar, reformer, and humanist. Stanford’s first president, David Starr Jordan, embraced the spirit of von Hutten’s words and included them (as the story goes) on his presidential seal. Scholars may find it noteworthy that the motto is actually von Hutten’s German translation from a phrase he originally wrote in Latin: Videtis illam spirare libertatis auram. He could have translated it as "Recognize that the wind of freedom blows" or the rhetorical "See you not that the wind of freedom is blowing?" For all practical purposes, the current translation is clearer and more economical. Although it is generally argued that the motto alludes to academic freedom, the pursuit of knowledge, and the scientific spirit, President Jordan also interpreted the meaning of the motto to evoke the “spirit of the West…the vital breath of the Pacific, coming in to us over the mountains.” Who knows, The wind of freedom blows may even have inspired Bob Dylan.

©2016 The Byline Group. All rights reserved. No portion of this list may be reproduced, sold, licensed, or bundled by any means, for commercial or other purposes, without the prior written consent of the site owner.
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