< ;p> St. John's College (St. John's College) is America's leading liberal arts college and the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, formerly known as King William's College, founded in 1696. St. John's College is the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, having been founded as King William's College in 1696 as a preparatory school, and in 1784 as an undergraduate college. St. John's was ranked 56th in the 2015 ranking of U.S. liberal arts colleges.