Villanova University
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| Latin: Universitas Villanovana | |
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Former names
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Augustinian College of Villanova (1842-1845) Villanova College (until 1953) |
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| Motto | Veritas, Unitas, Caritas (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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Truth, Unity, Charity |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1842 |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic (Order of Saint Augustine) |
| Endowment | $551.0 million (2016) |
| President | Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A. |
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Academic staff
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545 |
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Administrative staff
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2,000 |
| Students | 10,482 |
| Undergraduates | 6,394 |
| Postgraduates | 3,200 |
| Location | Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Campus | Suburban, 254 acres (1.03 km2) |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Athletics |
NCAA Division I – Big East, CAA Philadelphia Big 5 |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
| Mascot | Will D. Cat |
| Affiliations |
ACCU NAICU PCRC |
| Website | www |
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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 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine, the university traces its roots to old Saint Augustine's Church, Philadelphia, which the Augustinian friars founded in 1796, and to its parish school, Saint Augustine's Academy, which was established in 1811. U.S. News & World Report ranks Villanova as tied for the 50th best National University in the U.S. for 2017. The university is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association.
In October 1841, two Augustinian friars from Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia purchased the 200-acre (81 ha) "Belle Air" estate in Radnor Township with the intention of starting a school. The school, which was called the "Augustinian College of Vilanova", opened in 1842. However, the Philadelphia Nativist Riots of 1844 that burned Saint Augustine's Church in Philadelphia caused financial difficulties for the Augustinians, and the college was closed in February 1845. The college reopened in 1846 and graduated its first class in 1847. In March 1848, the governor of Pennsylvania incorporated the school and gave it the power to grant degrees. In 1859, the first master's degree was conferred on a student. In 1857, the school closed again as the demand for priests in Philadelphia prevented adequate staffing, and the crisis of the Panic of 1857 strained the school financially. The school remained closed throughout the Civil War and reopened in September 1865; since then it has operated continuously. Its prep department later moved to Malvern, a town along the Main Line, and is still run by the order.
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