Immaculata University

Founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculata University was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area when it opened in 1920.

The institution received university status in 2002 and became coeducational in 2005, accepting men into the undergraduate college.

Originally located on a 198-acre campus, today the Immaculata University campus spans 373 acres and contains 16 principal buildings, including the three-story Gabriele Library, the Alumnae Hall, which is home to the university gym and theatre, and the stunning Villa Maria Hall. 

The campus is renowned for its scenic grounds and is located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, a short distance from America’s fifth-largest city, Philadelphia.

There are currently around 3,000 students enrolled at Immaculata University and with more than 60 majors, minors and pre-professional certifications, there are a varied range of study fields available to them.

Popular courses include Nursing, Psychology, Education, and Fashion Merchandising.

The university is also considered to be the birthplace of college women’s basketball, and the Immaculata University team, the Might Macs, won the first three national championships between 1972 and 1974.

Immaculata University fielded teams in the first televised women’s basketball game, as well as the first women’s basketball game ever played in Madison Square Gardens. The history of the team was made into a movie, The Mighty Macs, which was released in 2011.

Among notable former students are Megan Brennan, the first female Postmaster General of the United States, and basketball coaches Theresa Grentz and Rene Portland.