# Sacred Heart University
**Sacred Heart University** (SHU) is a private Roman Catholic university in [Fairfield, Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/fairfield-connecticut), founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, second bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, to serve higher-education needs in the Bridgeport region regardless of sex, race, creed, or religion.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) It describes itself as the first Catholic university in America to be led and staffed by lay people.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/) From an original class of fewer than 200 undergraduates, enrollment has grown to more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students, and the university now ranks among the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the country according to the *Chronicle of Higher Education*.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) • [2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1963 by Bishop Walter W. Curtis of the Diocese of Bridgeport; announced in October 1962[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) |
| Location | 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, Connecticut; more than 300 acres along the state's southwestern coast, plus satellite sites in Stamford and Griswold, Connecticut, and an international campus in Dingle, Ireland[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/) • [3](https://www.neche.org/institutions/sacred-heart-university/) |
| Enrollment | Over 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students; 61,634 living alumni[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/) |
| Academic structure | Five colleges and four schools offering more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) |
| Carnegie classification | Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Medium; Research Colleges and Universities, with $4,733,000 in research spending[4](https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/institution/sacred-heart-university/) |
| Accreditation | New England Commission of Higher Education since 1969; continued in accreditation November 2023, next comprehensive evaluation Spring 2033[3](https://www.neche.org/institutions/sacred-heart-university/) |
| Cost and outcomes | Average net price $46,174; completion rate 74.0%; median earnings $79,431 four years after completion; median federal debt $25,000 among completers (College Scorecard, June 2026 release)[5](https://collegeoutcomeledger.com/schools/ct/130253-sacred-heart-university/) |
| Athletics | NCAA Division I with 38 varsity programs; football joined CAA Football on July 1, 2026[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) • [6](https://sacredheartpioneers.com/documents/download/2025/10/3/FB_Game_6_-_CCSU.pdf) |
## History
In October 1962, Bishop Curtis announced both the plan to open a college the following September and its name, "Sacred Heart." The name had a dual origin: it was the name of the bishop's first pastorate in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and a pledge attesting to the value of the institution he intended to build.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) The university was chartered to serve the people of the Diocese of Bridgeport and the surrounding region without regard to sex, race, creed, or religion.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/)
Growth came in stages. The university received initial accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (then part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges) in 1969.[3](https://www.neche.org/institutions/sacred-heart-university/) In 1990 it accepted residential students for the first time; there are now 15 residential areas on or near campus, and about 91% of first-year students and 50% of all undergraduates live in university housing.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) The university celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023.[7](https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/anniversary50/)
## Academics and organization
The university consists of five colleges and four schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, the AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, the College of Health Professions, the Davis & Henley College of Nursing, the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & [Human Development](https://www.edgepedia.org/human-development), the School of Communication, Media & the Arts, the School of Social Work, the School of Computing & Engineering, and the School of Performing Arts.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) Across these units it offers more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs, including online degrees, plus more than 30 direct-admit dual-degree programs that run from undergraduate into graduate study.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
The student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1 with an average class size of 23, according to the university; federal IPEDS-based data list a 16:1 ratio.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/) • [8](https://uscollegedata.com/tools/compare-colleges/sacred-heart-university/) The top five undergraduate majors are finance and business economics, exercise science, nursing, marketing, and psychology.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
**Accreditation.** Institutional accreditation rests with the New England Commission of Higher Education, and several programs hold specialized accreditation: the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology is accredited by AACSB-International, the Farrington College of Education & Human Development met CAEP national accreditation standards in 2018, and its programs are approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education.[9](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/consumer-information/accreditation/)
**Research profile.** Under the 2025 Carnegie Institutional Classification, Sacred Heart is classified as Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Medium and carries a Research Colleges and Universities designation, with reported research spending of $4,733,000.[4](https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/institution/sacred-heart-university/)
## Campus and facilities
The main [Park Avenue](https://www.edgepedia.org/park-avenue) campus in Fairfield sits less than 60 miles from Manhattan and about 150 miles from Boston, and the university's [Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/connecticut) campuses and facilities cover more than 300 acres with over 3.4 million square feet of building space.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/) West Campus, the former global headquarters of [General Electric](https://www.edgepedia.org/general-electric), houses the Farrington College of Education & Human Development, the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, and the School of Computing & Engineering, along with an IDEA Lab for engineering students and incubator space for business projects.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) West Campus is also home to the Martire Family Arena, a $70 million hockey and skating venue.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/)
The Center for Healthcare Education opened in the fall of 2017 with 117,000 square feet of laboratory and learning space for nursing and health professions students.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) In April 2026 the university celebrated an expansion of the center adding approximately 60,000 square feet of academic, clinical, and student-centered space, including simulation labs, bedside skills labs, classrooms, and collaborative student spaces.[10](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/shu-expands-center-for-healthcare-education/) The university also operates the Great River Golf Course in Milford, the Discovery Science Center & [Planetarium](https://www.edgepedia.org/planetarium) in Bridgeport, and the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre in downtown Fairfield.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
**Global campuses.** The university runs its own global campus in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland, and offers nearly 60 study abroad programs in more than 30 countries; short-term programs run two to eight weeks and may include internships.[11](https://sacredheart.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2026-2027/2026-2027-undergraduate-catalog/academic-enhancement-programs/study-abroad) A Catholic Intellectual Tradition course in Rome is taught each summer by SHU faculty at John Cabot University.[12](https://www.sacredheart.edu/offices--departments-directory/study-abroad/) For the 2025-2026 school year, students came from 45 states, the District of Columbia, two U.S. territories, and 45 countries.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
## Cost, admissions, and outcomes
Published tuition is $50,404 per year for both in-state and out-of-state students, with room and board at $19,140; the average net price after grants and scholarships is $46,174.[8](https://uscollegedata.com/tools/compare-colleges/sacred-heart-university/) • [5](https://collegeoutcomeledger.com/schools/ct/130253-sacred-heart-university/) The acceptance rate is 65.4%.[8](https://uscollegedata.com/tools/compare-colleges/sacred-heart-university/)
Federal College Scorecard data from the June 2026 release report a completion rate of 74.0% within 150% of expected time, median earnings of $79,431 four years after completion, and median federal debt of $25,000 among completers.[5](https://collegeoutcomeledger.com/schools/ct/130253-sacred-heart-university/) About 15.6% of students receive a [Pell Grant](https://www.edgepedia.org/pell-grant) and 57.5% take federal loans.[13](https://www.opencollegedata.com/schools/sacred-heart-university-ct) The university reports that nearly all undergraduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within one year of graduation.[2](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
In the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, [Sacred Heart](https://www.edgepedia.org/sacred-heart) placed among the nation's Best Colleges, among the top 100 private universities, and was named a Best Value institution and one of the Best Colleges for Veterans; undergraduate programs in business, engineering, nursing, psychology, and computer science earned national rankings, with nursing in the nation's top 20%.[14](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/shus-academic-strength-shines-in-2027-us-news-rankings/)
## Athletics
Sacred Heart is an [NCAA Division I](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncaa-division-i) institution offering 38 varsity programs.[1](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/) Its football team, previously an FCS independent, was approved as the newest member of CAA Football effective July 1, 2026.[6](https://sacredheartpioneers.com/documents/download/2025/10/3/FB_Game_6_-_CCSU.pdf)
## Leadership
John J. Petillo serves as president.[3](https://www.neche.org/institutions/sacred-heart-university/) In July 2026 the university named Michael D. Larobina, a longtime faculty member and administrator who previously served as general counsel, corporate secretary, and interim dean of the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, as provost, the senior member of the executive leadership team after the president.[15](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/michael-larobina-to-lead-academic-affairs-as-new-provost/) In February 2026, alumnus William C. Guerrero, who earned his MBA in finance from Sacred Heart in 1997, returned as vice president of information technology.[16](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/meet-the-new-vp-of-information-technology/)
## References
1. [History, Sacred Heart University](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/history/)
2. [SHU Facts, Sacred Heart University](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/shu-facts/)
3. [Sacred Heart University, New England Commission of Higher Education](https://www.neche.org/institutions/sacred-heart-university/)
4. [Sacred Heart University, Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education](https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/institution/sacred-heart-university/)
5. [Sacred Heart University, College Outcome Ledger (College Scorecard, June 10, 2026 release)](https://collegeoutcomeledger.com/schools/ct/130253-sacred-heart-university/)
6. [Sacred Heart Football Game Notes, Game 6 vs. CCSU, October 4, 2025](https://sacredheartpioneers.com/documents/download/2025/10/3/FB_Game_6_-_CCSU.pdf)
7. [Anniversary Collections, SHU History (Archives)](https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/anniversary50/)
8. [Sacred Heart University, US College Data (IPEDS)](https://uscollegedata.com/tools/compare-colleges/sacred-heart-university/)
9. [Accreditation, Sacred Heart University](https://www.sacredheart.edu/about-shu/consumer-information/accreditation/)
10. [SHU Expands Center for Healthcare Education, Sacred Heart University News, April 1, 2026](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/shu-expands-center-for-healthcare-education/)
11. [Study Abroad, 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, Sacred Heart University](https://sacredheart.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2026-2027/2026-2027-undergraduate-catalog/academic-enhancement-programs/study-abroad)
12. [Study Abroad, Sacred Heart University](https://www.sacredheart.edu/offices--departments-directory/study-abroad/)
13. [Sacred Heart University, Open College Data (College Scorecard)](https://www.opencollegedata.com/schools/sacred-heart-university-ct)
14. [SHU's Academic Strength Shines in 2027 U.S. News Rankings, Sacred Heart University News, September 24, 2026](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/shus-academic-strength-shines-in-2027-us-news-rankings/)
15. [Michael Larobina to Lead Academic Affairs as New Provost, Sacred Heart University News, July 10, 2026](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/michael-larobina-to-lead-academic-affairs-as-new-provost/)
16. [Meet the New VP of Information Technology, Sacred Heart University News, February 6, 2026](https://www.sacredheart.edu/news-room/news-listing/meet-the-new-vp-of-information-technology/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Education and knowledge institutions › Higher education › Universities and colleges in the Americas › Universities in the Northeastern United States › Universities in New England*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license