Villanova University
Villanova, PA800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699
610-519-4500
Founded in 1842, Villanova University is a private research university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the United States. Named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, the school is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsylvania and the only Augustinian university in the United States. Villanova University is organized into six colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies, and the Charles Widger School of Law. The university offers over 115 undergraduate programs, 86 master's degrees, and 55 doctoral degrees.
The university is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association. The university is also home to Villanova Athletics, which fields 27 Division I teams in the NCAA and is a member of the Big East Conference.
The school was founded by the Order of St. Augustine in 1842 as Villanova College. It was the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania and the only Augustinian college or university in the United States. The school was named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, the 13th-century Augustine monk who established schools and orphanages in his native Italy and was canonized a saint in 1446.
The initial mission of Villanova College was to educate young men of Catholic families in the liberal arts and sciences. The college was located in a rural setting, Villanova, Pennsylvania, about six miles (9.7 km) northwest of Philadelphia. The campus size is currently about 1000 acres (4.0 km2).
The school admitted its first students in 1843. In 1844, the 8th Bishop of Philadelphia, Patrick Kenrick, formally opened and blessed the college.
In March 1845, the governor of Pennsylvania approved an act of incorporation for the college. In 1846, the college received its charter from the state.
The Villanova College seal was designed by Father Michael Francis McGivney, who later became the 13th president of the college.
In 1854, Villanova was selected as the location for the Lindenwood College for Women, a Catholic women's college which was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. However, the women's college closed after only a few years.
In 1918, Villanova College officially became Villanova University.
During the Second World War, Villanova was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
After the war, the Villanova campus expanded, adding six additional buildings between 1946 and 1949.
In the 1950s, the school added a graduate school and a school of law.
In the 1960s, Villanova began admitting women to its undergraduate program.
In 1971, the school of law became a separate entity, Villanova University School of Law.
In 1980, Villanova University became a coeducational institution.
In 1985, Villanova University School of Law gained full accreditation by the American Bar Association.
In 1987, the Villanova School of Business was founded.
In 2001, Villanova University celebrated its Sesquicentennial, marking 150 years of teaching, research, and service.
In 2006, Villanova University was ranked #49 on Forbes magazine's list of America's Top Colleges.
In 2013, Villanova University was ranked #53 on U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges list.
In 2015, Villanova University was ranked #70 on The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges list.
Villanova University is a private research university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the United States. The school is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsylvania and the only Augustinian university in the United States. Villanova University is organized into six colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies, and the Charles Widger School of Law. The university offers over 115 undergraduate programs, 86 master's degrees, and 55 doctoral degrees.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 11032
Acceptance Rate: 30.66%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.villanova.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/enroll/finaid.html
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $75835
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $75835
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Villanova University is $275923.00. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Villanova University. For graduates of Villanova University, we saw an average early-career income of $55400.00 and mid-career income of $78700.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.