Overview

Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh oldest Jesuit university in the United States and the sixth largest university in Philadelphia. It is named after Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph's University has nearly 9,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in over 162 undergraduate programs, 84 graduate programs, and 9 degree-completion and post-baccalaureate programs. It has 14 centers and institutes, including the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support and the Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Center for Business Ethics. Saint Joseph's University is classified as an R2: Doctoral University with High Research Activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. == Jesuit and Catholic identity == The university's Jesuit identity is extensively used in its branding. It began the Magis ("greater") campaign in 2013 to highlight commitment to living "For the greater glory of God" (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam), the motto of the Society of Jesus. SJU also promotes the Jesuit principle of cura personalis or "care for the whole person." Undergraduates must complete a general education program that focuses heavily on traditional liberal arts disciplines. The university's Jesuit community live in one of two locations on the Hawk Hill campus. The Loyola Center, located on City Line Avenue, is connected to Manresa Hall, the infirmary for Jesuits. The Loyola Center exclusively houses retired members of the Jesuit Community. The second location, Arrupe Hall, serves as housing for active Jesuits at Saint Joseph's University, and features a large dining hall and chapel. On September 27, 2015, Pope Francis, himself a long-time member of the Jesuit Order, made a stop at the university during his two-day visit to Philadelphia. == History == === Beginning of Collegiate Jesuit Education in Philadelphia === Saint Joseph's University was founded by the Jesuits in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. The university is the seventh oldest Jesuit university in the United States. St. Joseph's College started on September 15, 1851, when 36 students began classes in a building adjacent to Old St. Joseph's Church on Willings Alley, between South 3rd and South 4th Streets and Walnut and Spruce Streets in Philadelphia. St. Joseph's College moved in 1866 from Willings Alley to a full block on Girard Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets in Philadelphia (now the location of Saint Joseph's Preparatory School). St. Joseph's College moved to its present City Avenue campus in November 1927. After raising over $1 million dollars, Saint Joseph's College purchased twenty-three acres of land along City Avenue and began construction on Barbelin Hall, the first academic building on campus. In 1978, Saint Joseph's College became Saint Joseph's University after being recognized as a University by the Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. === Origin of North America's First College of Pharmacy === On June 1, 2022, Saint Joseph's University acquired University of the Sciences (Philadelphia College of Pharmacy). This acquisition added professional programs in health and science, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and pharmacy to Saint Joseph's University. This merger means that St. Joe's can now trace its history to February 1821, when 68 apothecaries met at Carpenters' Hall to establish improved scientific standards and develop better training programs. Classes began nearly immediately, making the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy the first institution of higher learning in the United States dedicated to the field of pharmacy. In 1825, the college began publishing the first academic journal in the United States dedicated to pharmacy. The apothecaries formalized their new association through a constitution, which declared their intent to establish a school of pharmacy to enhance their vocation and to "guard the drug market from the introduction of spurious, adulterated, deteriorated or otherwise mischievous articles, which are too frequently forced into it". === Mergers === In March 2022, Saint Joseph's University's planned merger with the University of the Sciences (formerly known as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy) was approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. On June 1, 2022, Saint Joseph's University merged with the University of the Sciences. In January 2023, Saint Joseph's University announced a planned merger with Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in January 2024. With this merger, the university announced that it would be launching an undergraduate nursing program on Hawk Hill in 2024. The merger marked the third campus location for Saint Joseph's University. === University Leadership === Upon Saint Joseph's College being founded in 1851, Fr. Felix-Joseph Barbelin served as the first President of the University. The subsequent 26 Presidents were also Priests in the Catholic Church. On April 22, 2015, Mark C. Reed was appointed to serve as the 28th President of Saint Joseph's University, being the first layperson to hold the role of President since the founding of the University. Dr. Reed served as President of Saint Joseph's University from 2015 until 2022, when he resigned to serve as President of Loyola University Chicago. On March 10, 2023, Saint Joseph's University's board of trustees elected Cheryl A. McConnell its 29th – and first female – president in the university's 172-year history. Dr. McConnell had most recently served as Saint Joseph's interim president since Dr. Reed's resignation, and as provost and chief academic officer for three years prior. === Seal === The Seal of Saint Joseph's University signifies the university's history and values. Other Jesuit educational institutions share three of these symbols. The wolves over a kettle pot show the generosity of the Loyola family towards the poor. Tradition claims that the Loyolas provided so much food for their soldiers that even the wolves had enough to eat. IHS are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, and the historic monogram of the Society of Jesus. The stripes signify the 7 sons of the House of Loyola, who died defending their home. The lily is the distinguishing symbol of the university, honoring Saint Joseph, the school's patron saint. The seal is the graphical representation of Saint Joseph's and its Jesuit identity. == Academics == The university has five schools and colleges that offer 250 academic programs and 9 degree-completion and post-baccalaureate certificate programs. Of tenure-track faculty, 100% hold the highest possible degrees in their fields. As of 2025, the six-year undergraduate graduation rate was 83% and the first-year student retention rate was 89%. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classified Saint Joseph's among "Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)". The university also has 14 centers and institutes, which include the Academy of Food Marketing, The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph's University, Center for Addiction and Recovery Education, Center for Professional Development, Faith-Justice Institute, Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, Institute of Clinical Bioethics, Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, Maguire Academy of Insurance and Risk Management, Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Center for Business Ethics, Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators and Substance Use Disorders Institute. The university has an undergraduate honors program, housed in Claver House. == Campus == === Main Campus === Saint Joseph's University's main campus, often referred to as Hawk Hill, is located along City Avenue, which splits the university between the western edge of Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township. The university owns property on both the Philadelphia and Lower Merion sides of City Avenue. Hawk Hill is the original location of the university when it moved to City Avenue in 1927. Saint Joseph's most well-known building is Barbelin Hall, which opened in 1927. The hall is known for its Gothic architecture, particularly the gargoyles that mark what is called the Barbelin Quadrangle (or Barbelin Courtyard) and the tall, four-spired bell tower that can be seen from miles away. The bell tower that sits atop Barbelin served as the university's logo for several years. Barbelin Hall was built by John McShain, who constructed The Pentagon and the Jefferson Memorial. The university's official mailing address is in Philadelphia. The two sides of the main campus are connected by both bridge and underpass allowing access across City Avenue. Its 125 acres (0.51 km2) are concentrated from Cardinal Avenue to 52nd Street and Overbrook Avenue to City Avenue. With the acquisition of the Maguire Campus, one half of the 125 acres (0.51 km2) are located on the Lower Merion side of City Avenue. In all, there are 99 buildings on the university's campus. The Hawk Hill campus features Barbelin Hall, Mandeville Hall, Bellarmine Hall, Post Hall, and the Science Center as the main academic halls. Green spaces on campus include St. Mary's, Claver House, and Wolfington lawns located on the Main Campus, in addition to two quadrangles, College Hall Quad and Barbelin Quad. The Post Learning Commons is the university's main library, the result of a renovation of the original Francis A. Drexel Library and an expansion project called the Post Learning Commons, from 2011 to 2013. Drexel Library and Post Learning Commons are connected via a glass atrium and bridge through the heart of campus. The Post Learning Commons houses approximately 355,000 volumes, 1,450 print journals, 15,000 full-text electronic journals, 2,800 e-books, 866,000 microforms, and 4,975 audio-visual materials. Unique to the Post Learning Commons is the Campbell Collection in Food Marketing. In September 2012, the university purchased the adjacent Cardinal's Residence on 54th and Cardinal Avenue from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Beginning with the fall 2014 semester, the Cardinal's Residence was renamed the Maguire Wolfington Welcome Center. It serves as a welcome center for prospective families and has offices for all enrollment management operations. Campion Student Center is the hub for student activities, student life administrative offices, and dining facilities. The student center within Campion also features the Doyle Banquet Halls, Forum Theater, and President's Lounge used for larger gatherings and lectures on campus. Located just off Campion Student Center is Simpson Hall, which houses the Student Media Center and The Perch, a 24-hour student lounge. In 2023, the dining facilities were renovated, with the new dining facility being named "The Kettle". The Kettle utilizes the concept of ghost kitchens and mobile ordering. The Kettle also offers a separate large dining area with buffet-style food. Saint Joseph's University also owns multiple buildings in Overbrook, located about a mile from the center of Hawk Hill near the Overbrook Train Station. Currently the Overbrook campus holds four dorms, reserved exclusively for sophomores. These dorms are the Ashwood Apartments, Merion Gardens Apartments, Morris Townhouses, and Moore Hall. St. Joe's is within 15 miles (24 km) of La Salle University, Harcum College, Rosemont College, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Temple University, Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Philadelphia University, Eastern University, and Villanova University. SEPTA regional rail train stations on each side of campus provide students with easy access to Center City. === James J. Maguire '58 Campus === On August 8, 2008, Saint Joseph's completed the acquisition of the adjacent Episcopal Academy after purchasing the property in 2005. The new 38-acre area (150,000 m2) was named the Maguire Campus for the lead donor, Saint Joseph's alumnus James Maguire. The Maguire Campus is located directly across from the Main Campus on the Lower Merion side of City Avenue. While this land is referred to as the "Maguire Campus", the property is considered part of the main "Hawk Hill" campus in contrast to the University City or Lancaster campuses. The Maguire Campus features three main academic buildings: Merion Hall, Connelly Hall, and Toland Hall. Merion Hall is the largest of the three. The Cardinal John Foley Center, a multi-use space, hosts lectures, concerts, and social gatherings, in addition to large-scale admission events. The Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, established in 2009, was made possible with donations totaling over $8 million, and is located in Connelly Hall. Duperreault, Quinn, and Windrim Halls are campus houses serving as administrative space for University Advancement. In 2018, Saint Joseph's University announced that it had entered into an educational collaboration with The