Divine Word College
Higher EducationUnited States201-500 Employees
Divine Word College is a higher education institution in Epworth, Iowa, operated by the Society of the Divine Word. It serves as the only Roman Catholic undergraduate seminary in the United States dedicated to preparing men and women for missionary service, combining liberal arts education with spiritual formation and mission preparation. The college also runs an established English as a Second Language program through its Intensive English Language Institute, supporting students who plan to pursue missionary ministry or religious formation. Its target community includes those seeking priestly or religious life within the Society of the Divine Word, diocesan clergy, or laypeople preparing for mission work, with the broader aim of fostering personal commitment to a life shaped by Christian formation. Divine Word College is affiliated with the SVD, the largest missionary order in the Roman Catholic Church, and is located in Epworth, within the broader Midwest region of the United States. The institution has a longstanding historical connection to the Society of the Divine Word, which was founded in 1875 and now operates globally.