Villanova University
800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA, 19085
Villanova University is a private religious university in PA, founded in 1842 and offers Bachelor’s degrees for undergraduates and Master’s and Doctoral degrees for graduate students. The undergraduate enrollment is 7,037, and the graduate enrollment is 3,995. Villanova University is a highly selective school, receiving 22,083 applications and accepting 30.7% of applicants. Villanova University’s athletics teams compete at the club, intramural, and varsity levels. Additionally, Villanova University employs 655 full-time instructional staff (89% of whom hold doctorate degrees) and has an 11:1 student to faculty ratio.
Empowerly Score®
80
University Score
- School Performance
- Extracurriculars
- Standardized Tests
- Essays
Empowerly Score®
At Empowerly, we prioritize data to customize our approach to student counseling. College admissions is becoming more selective by the year, so it’s never been more important than now to prepare in advance and give yourself the best chance for success.
Take the Empowerly QuizESSAYS
Applicants applying to Villanova University will apply through the Common Application. Applicants will be required to write one personal statement based on a set of prompts within the application and will also respond to additional university-specific supplemental questions.
Deadlines For Submitting Applications
Early Action Application Deadline
November 1st
Early Decision I Application Deadline
November 1st
Early Decision II Application Deadline
January 15th
Regular Application Deadline
January 15th
ATTENDANCE FACTORS
- Rigor of Secondary School Record - Very Important
- Academic GPA - Very Important
- Class Rank - Very Important
- Extracurricular Activities - Important
- Application Essay - Important
Average Acceptance Rate
30.70%
STUDENT LIFE
Villanova University has a suburban campus in Villanova, Pennsylvania, spanning 254 acres, located 12 miles from Philadelphia Central City. The campus was formerly known as Arboretum Villanova because it had over 1,500 trees! The school’s campus is divided into three sub-campuses: Main campus, West campus, and South campus, with the main campus containing the most prominent feature: a Gothic Revival-style building. This building is the St. Thomas of Villanova Church, the tallest structure on the University’s campus. There are six building halls around the church: Mendel, Tolentine, White, Falvey, John Barry, and the Center for Engineering Education and Research. The other campus sections host various residence halls.
The school has over 10,000 students: 7,037 undergraduate students and 3,995 graduate students. The school is rated most selective and offers three application ways: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision. The school has a middle 50% GPA range of 4.14-4.52 on a weighted 4.00 scale, a middle 50% SAT score of 1400-1500 from 1600, and ACT scores of 32-34 from 36.
Villanova University is rated an R2 Doctorate University with very high research activity and ranks 267 among research universities in the nation. The school also ranked 46th amongst Best National Universities, 1st amongst Best Masters Universities for a decade, and 2nd for Best-Valued Universities. The school has several accolades to its name, resulting from its strict standards for quality education.
Housing
- 76% of students live on campus
- Guaranteed housing for freshmen
Villanova University’s housing system offers two different categories of housing for its students: the commons and residence halls. The commons housing category is reserved for seniors as they are located in the main campus section. In contrast, the residence halls in this category are apartment-style buildings that possess gyms, cafeterias, and mall rooms. First-year students are given rooms in dormitories, which can be found in every section of the campus.
Life as a Student
Villanova University is a school with strict religious beliefs; hence it offers churches, a campus ministry, and Greek societies. It also has sororities, fraternities, and other club organizations. Some of the club organizations include the publication and media organizations responsible for news and magazines in the school. Villanova University also has a tradition of organizing a fundraising competition.
TOP MAJORS
Finance
Nursing
Communications
Management Sciences and Information Systems
Accounting
Economics
SERVICES
Health and Safety
- 24-hour trained security on campus
- Late night ride/safe escort service available
- NovaAlert - email, text messaging for emergency situations
Student Services
- Health Center
- Psychological Counseling
Athletics
Baseball
Basketball
Cheerleading
Crew
Football
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
Cross-Country Running
Basketball
Cheerleading
Crew
Equestrian Sports
Field Hockey
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Softball
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
Cross-Country Running
Club
Club
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Crew
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Rugby
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Soccer
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Water Polo
Cross-Country Running
Badminton
Basketball
Equestrian Sports
Field Hockey
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Sailing
Skiing (Downhill)
Soccer
Swimming and Diving
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Cross-Country Running
Intramural
Intramural
Football
Softball
Softball
FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
80% of full-time undergraduate students received financial assistance and $25M of need-based Villanova grants is awarded to first-year students.
*All costs below are estimates and may differ based on your circumstances.
- Tuition - $56,730
- Room and Board - $14,975
- Other Fees - $730
- Books and Supplies - $1,100
- Misc. - $2,300
- Total Estimated Cost of Attendance - $75,835
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP / AFFILIATES
HISTORY
Villanova University was founded by order of St. Augustine, who named it after St. Thomas of Villanova. Founded in 1842, the university is the oldest Catholic institution in Pennsylvania and is still run by the order of St. Augustine still today. It is a private research higher-education institute and the only Augustinian University in the United States. Villanova University is located in the suburban parts of Pennsylvania and has academic affiliates with ACCU, ASEA, NAICU, PCRC, and Space-grant. The school’s administration is run by priests, with the majority of its students Catholics, and every building in the school is marked with a cross. There is only one campus located in Pennsylvania, but this campus is divided into three; the Main campus, the West campus, and the South campus. The school has six colleges offering undergraduate and graduate programs.
The idea of an institute was born in 1841, when two Irish Augustinian Friars from the old St. Augustine’s Church, Philadelphia, intended to start a school. They acquired 200 acres from the Belle Air estate in Radnor Township in that year. In 1842, the college was founded and established as the Augustinian College of Villanova, and the school accepted its first class of students. In the following year, the Nativist Riot that led to the burning of the St. Augustine Church broke out, which caused financial problems for the newly opened school. Eventually, the school was closed in February 1845.
In 1846, though, the college reopened and graduated its first class of students in 1847. In March 1848, the school was incorporated and empowered to grant degrees, and the school conferred its first master’s degree on a student in 1859. The Panic that occurred in 1857 strained the school financially as there was a low supply of staff and a demand for priests in Philadelphia. Again, the school eventually closed down and remained so through the Civil War. In September 1865, the school reopened and experienced massive growth from this time. Its School of Technology was established in 1905, and the college became fully coeducational in 1968 and attained university status on 18th November 1953. The school has graduated more US. Navy admirals and Marine Corps Generals than any other institution, except for the Naval Academy. The university also established several schools within its system and now has six schools and colleges.