Purcellville, VA June 12, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Patrick Henry College (PHC) earned an A+ rating from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s (ACTA) What Will They Learn? project. This places PHC among fewer than one percent of colleges and universities nationwide to receive the organization’s highest distinction. The recognition comes alongside another strong year for PHC’s nationally-recognized forensics programs. Together, these results affirm PHC’s rigorous curriculum and the consistent achievement of its students.
PHC’s ACTA A+ rating and sustained success in competitive advocacy reflect a unified academic mission grounded in a distinctly Christian worldview as it prepares graduates to lead in law, government, and public service with conviction, skill, and integrity.
ACTA’s What Will They Learn? project evaluates colleges based on whether students complete coursework in seven foundational disciplines: composition, literature, intermediate foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural science. An A+ is awarded only to institutions that require all seven as part of their core curriculum. “Even as many universities lower their standards, Patrick Henry College serves as a model of curricular rigor,” ACTA noted in its announcement.
PHC’s academic program extends beyond these requirements. It includes a 63-credit core curriculum grounded in a Christian worldview. Students study rhetoric, logic, constitutional law, economics, Western civilization, history, literature, mathematics, laboratory sciences, and theology. The program integrates academic rigor with biblical conviction. PHC’s mission emphasizes training students to glorify God while holding together faith and reason in higher education.
That academic foundation is reflected in PHC’s forensics success.
During the 2025–2026 academic year, PHC Moot Court was ranked the No. 1 collegiate program in the nation. PHC earned a second-place finish at the American Moot Court Association National Championship, competing against universities including Yale, UC Berkeley, USC, and Morehouse. Out of roughly 495 teams representing nearly 1,000 students, PHC advanced through regional and super-regional rounds. Six teams ultimately qualified for Nationals, despite a four-team institutional cap.
PHC also placed seventh nationally in brief writing. Students earned additional semifinal and quarterfinal finishes, along with multiple individual awards for top oral advocacy performances.
In Mock Trial, PHC fielded three varsity teams competing on the national invitational circuit and within the American Mock Trial Association system. The College advanced to the National Championship Tournament, finishing with a top-ten national ranking.
At major invitationals, PHC placed second at the University of Virginia’s GAMTI tournament and fourth at Georgetown’s Hilltop Invitational. Competitors included Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Yale, Emory, and the University of Chicago. Across the season, students also earned numerous Outstanding Attorney and Outstanding Witness awards.
In Civic Debate, PHC teams achieved both national and international distinction. They earned first place in the Transatlantic West and Transatlantic East Debates and also placed second at the Schuman Challenge hosted by the European Union. The program concluded the year with additional podium finishes in Paris at the Transatlantic Debates hosted by the École de Guerre.
As part of the core curriculum, every PHC student participates in moot court through the Constitutional Law course. This groundwork results in persuasive advocacy, legal reasoning, and structured argumentation are embedded in the academic experience rather than reserved for extracurricular competition. Mock trial and debate further reinforce these skills across the student body.
“The Lord has continued to bless our forensics program this year, granting us noteworthy success in all three programs of moot court, mock trial, and civic debate,” said Sue Johnson, Director of Forensics. “Most importantly, He has used these activities to help students develop leadership and persuasive communication skills that will allow them to serve Him more effectively after PHC.”
Contact Information:
Patrick Henry College
Stephen Allen, Assistant VP and Director of Communication
(540) 441-8722
Contact via Email
https://www.phc.edu
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/970937
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