Villanova Set to Acquire Rosemont College Campus

Rosemont College is set to close in 2028 and is being acquired by Villanova University. When the college opened for the academic year this fall, it had about half as many students as last year. Fall enrollment stands at 428 students, roughly 45% below last year's 783.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, this year's first-year class dropped to 21 students, about a quarter of last year's size, signaling continued enrollment decline and fueling uncertainty about students staying through graduation.

Even with the closure two years away, several students said they plan to remain until graduation, while others are considering transferring. Students are concerned about potential credit loss, diminished campus life, and the end of NCAA sports amid declining enrollment. According to The Inquirer, Rosemont was able to continue several NCAA Division III sports teams this year, including women's volleyball, basketball, and baseball, and potentially others. But lacrosse, softball, and some other teams could not field enough student-athletes.

Rosemont's long-running financial struggles — deficits, tuition discounting, debt, and reliance on restricted endowment funds — led to the college's decision to enter into a purchasing agreement with Villanova. Villanova is less than a mile from Rosemont, which will become Villanova University, Rosemont Campus in 2028.

In the interim, students and faculty are working together to preserve Rosemont's culture and heritage through initiatives such as a greenhouse restoration, campus events, and a collaborative architecture and history book, Spirit and Stone: The Architecture and Heritage of Rosemont College.

“The students are working together to capture our history as we finish and grow smaller,” said Joanne Campbell, assistant professor of sociology, in a statement shared with The Inquirer. “All our students are future alums, so they are thinking about how do we merge together with Villanova in a way that honors our heritage and our legacy.”

Samantha Ferrari, a junior English and communication major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, said she enjoys the academic atmosphere on campus, despite the reduced student population.

“I really like the ability to work closely with my professors and customize what I'm studying,” she said to The Inquirer.