Villanova’s $75M renovation of Cabrini campus will allow the biggest enrollment increase in decades

For decades, Villanova University’s undergraduate enrollment has remained relatively stable, given space constraints on campus.

But with the purchase of the nearby former Cabrini University campus, Villanova — where undergraduates number nearly 7,100 this fall — will have room for an additional 900 students. It will be poised to embark on its largest enrollment increase in decades, though officials caution it would be gradual and no exact number has been decided. The demand for a Villanova education is high; the Catholic university accepts less than a quarter of students who apply.

First, however, the university is making $75 million in improvements to the 112-acre Cabrini campus, said Villanova spokesperson Jonathan Gust. Deferred maintenance had mounted there in recent years as the now-shuttered Cabrini struggled financially. Villanova plans to reopen the campus in fall 2026.

» READ MORE: Villanova announces Cabrini University campus to close for two years for renovations

“The buildings and spaces at Cabrini are in good shape but will require capital investments over the next two years to make it feel like a natural extension of Villanova,” said the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Villanova’s president, in a message to the campus community in September. “Our primary goals are to make the Cabrini Campus an integral part of Villanova and to expand access to a Villanova education to more students.”

No new buildings are planned for the site, which is about two miles from Villanova and is slated to be called Villanova University Cabrini Campus, Gust said. In addition to building renovations, the university also plans landscaping, paving, and utility work, he said.

Plans are not yet firm, but Gust said that freshmen will continue to live on the main campus and that the Cabrini space would be used for sophomores and upperclassmen. The Cabrini campus also will include academic and recreational spaces. Most of Villanova and all of Cabrini are in Radnor Township.

» READ MORE: Villanova finalizes agreement to acquire Cabrini University campus

The nursing college, for example, is interested in Cabrini’s recently remodeled building with nursing simulation labs, Gust said. The athletic spaces will be used for club sports and intramural games, while varsity sports will continue on the main campus, he said. In his message to the campus, Donohue noted that the campus also would allow Villanova to explore the possibility of an elementary education major.

In preparation for the new campus, a Villanova team visited other universities with multiple campuses, including Boston College and Quinnipiac, Lehigh, Duke, and George Washington Universities, to learn how to integrate the new space with the main campus.

“There is no magic formula for second campuses,” Donohue said in his campus message.

» READ MORE: At Cabrini University, there will be no next year: A chronicling of its final semester

But they heard that a high-quality transportation system that connects the campuses is a must; Villanova is exploring shuttle service. And enticing students to want to live there is paramount — some specialty dining selections are among the ideas being floated, Gust said.

Villanova first announced it was planning to purchase Cabrini’s campus in June 2023, and the two schools said last November they had finalized that deal. Cabrini graduated its last class in May and turned the campus over to Villanova at the end of June.

In addition to campus investments, Villanova paid $11.5 million for the campus and an additional $45 million to retire Cabrini’s debt.

Villanova announced earlier this month that it had launched its largest ever capital campaign, aiming to raise $1.25 billion. Some of the fundraising is earmarked for campus facilities, but the school has not said if some of the money raised will be used for Cabrini renovations.