Every experience is a kind of education. Everything you learn in the classroom gains value when you apply it. At Knox College they believe in just that. Knox students become engaged, innovative, and productive global citizens, ready to lead lives of purpose and prepared to work in fields that don't even exist yet. A Knox education isn't something you sit and watch--it's something you go out and do. Knox employs a 3–3 academic calendar rather than a traditional semester-based approach. In each of the three 10-week terms, students take only three courses.

The student-faculty ratio at Knox College is 11:1, and the school has most of its classes with fewer than 20 students. Faculty members teach only two courses each term, giving them more time for one-on-one mentoring. All students are held responsible for the integrity of their own work, and students are required to abide by the code. Because of this policy, tests are not proctored, and in many cases students may take their exams in any open, public place within the same building.

Flunk Day at Knox is an annual spring carnival that allows students, staff, and faculty to mingle and have fun. Classes are canceled for the day as the student body turns its attention to a joke issue of the student newspaper, live music, inflatable bounce rooms, petting zoos, a mud pit, a paint fight, and a seniors vs faculty softball game. If you dream of starting your own company, StartUp Term offers practical experience in every part of the entrepreneurial process, from developing a business plan to pitching your product to potential investors. For 10 weeks, participants work in teams of four to transform original business concepts into real services and products.

At Knox, students put their education into practice through the pursuit of research and creative work, including a senior Honors research program; participation in scores of study abroad and off-campus study programs or one of Knox's immersion terms; access to internships across the country and around the world; and opportunities to help the local community through service projects. Nearly 90 percent of Knox students will conduct independent research, study, or creative work and half of the students study abroad.

At the end of their time at Knox, students can think independently, solve problems, communicate clearly, and live with purpose. These skills are why their alumni earn advanced degrees at prestigious institutions, lead presidential transition teams and Fortune 500 companies, argue cases in front of the U. S. Supreme Court, and contribute to the well-being of the local, national, and international communities.