Founding Orders
Vision and Voice for Catholic Higher Education      Learn More

 

 

 

Did you know that 90 percent of the nearly 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States were founded by religious orders?

Catholic College and University Founding Orders

Catholic higher education celebrates its foundresses and founders, from various religious communities to visionary individuals who helped establish and set a course for our many institutions:

 


ACCU Member Institutions, by Founding/Sponsoring Congregation

To explore the website of any institution, please refer to the ACCU Member Directory.

 

Augustinian (2) Lasallian (6)
Merrimack College Christian Brothers University
Villanova University La Salle University
  Lewis University
Basilian (2) Manhattan College
Manor College Saint Mary's College of California
University of St Thomas (TX) Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
   
Benedictine (12) Mercy (17)
Belmont Abbey College Carlow University
Benedictine College College of Saint Mary
Benedictine University Georgian Court University
College of Saint Benedict Gwynedd Mercy University
College of St. Scholastica Maria College 
Mount Marty College Mercy College of Health Sciences
Saint Anselm College Mercy College of Ohio
Saint John's University Mercyhurst University
Saint Leo University Misericordia University
Saint Martin's University Mount Aloysius College
Saint Vincent College Mount Mercy University
University of Mary Saint Joseph's College of Maine
  Saint Xavier University
Congregation of Divine Providence (3) Salve Regina University
La Roche University Trocaire College
Our Lady of the Lake University University of Detroit Mercy
University of Providence University of Saint Joseph
   
Diocesan (11) Pontifical (2)
Carroll College The Catholic University of America
Donnelly College Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Gannon University
 
Loras College
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (2)
Seton Hall University
Marymount University
St. Ambrose University
Loyola Marymount University
St. Thomas University
 
Thomas More University
School Sisters of Notre Dame (2)
University of Dallas
Mount Mary University
University of St. Thomas (MN)
Notre Dame of Maryland University
 Wheeling University
Dominican (14) Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (2)
Albertus Magnus College Immaculata University
Aquinas College (MI) Marywood University
Aquinas College (TN)  
Barry University  
Caldwell University Sisters of Charity (6)
Dominican College  College of Mount Saint Vincent
Dominican University Mount St. Joseph University 
Edgewood College Saint Elizabeth University
Molloy College Seton Hill University
Mount Saint Mary College Spalding University
Ohio Dominican University University of Saint Mary
Providence College  
Siena Heights University  
St. Thomas Aquinas College Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (3)
  Emmanuel College
Franciscan (22) Notre Dame de Namur University
Alvernia University Trinity Washington University
Alverno College  
Briar Cliff University Sisters of the Presentation of Mary (2)
Cardinal Stritch University Presentation College
Felician University Rivier University
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University  
Franciscan School of Theology Sisters of Saint Joseph (7)
Franciscan University of Steubenville Avila University
Hilbert College Chestnut Hill College
Lourdes University Elms College
Madonna University Fontbonne University
Marian University (IN) Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles 
Neumann University Regis College
Quincy University St. Catherine University
Saint Francis University  
Siena College Society of Mary (3)
St Bonaventure University Chaminade University of Honolulu
St. Francis College St Mary's University
University of Saint Francis (IN) University of Dayton
University of St. Francis (IL)  
Villa Maria College  Ursuline (3)
Viterbo University  Brescia University
  Chatfield College
Holy Cross (7) Ursuline College
Holy Cross College  
King's College Vincentian Fathers (3)
Saint Mary's College DePaul University
St. Edward's University Niagara University
Stonehill College St. John's University (NY)
University of Notre Dame  
University of Portland Other Sponsoring Congregations (27)
  Ancilla College (Poor Handmaids of Jesus)
Independent (9) Anna Maria College (Sisters of St Anne)
Ave Maria University Assumption College for Sisters (Sisters of Christian Charity)
Bellarmine University Assumption University (Augustinians of the Assumption)
Catholic Distance University Cabrini University (Cabrinian/Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Divine Mercy University Calumet College of St. Joseph (Society of the Precious Blood)
Donnelly College Clarke University (Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Mexican American Catholic College DeSales University (Oblates St Francis de Sales)
Mount St. Mary's University (MD) Divine Word College (Society of the Divine Word)
Sacred Heart University Duquesne University (Congregation of the Holy Spirit)
University of San Diego
  D'Youville College (Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart)
 
  Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles)
  Holy Family University (Sisters of the Holy Family)
Jesuit (27) Holy Names University (Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary)
Boston College Iona College (Congregation of Christian Brothers)
Canisius College Loyola Marymount University (Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange)
College of the Holy Cross Marian University (WI) (Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes)
Creighton University Newman University (Adorers of the Blood of Christ)
Fairfield University Notre Dame College (Sisters of Notre Dame)
Fordham University Rosemont College (Society of the Holy Child Jesus)
Georgetown University Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Sisters of Providence)
Gonzaga University Saint Michael's College (Society of St. Edmund)
John Carroll University St. Norbert College (Norbertine)
Le Moyne College Universidad del Sagrado Corazon (Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
Loyola Marymount University University of the Incarnate Word (Daughters of Charity of the Incarnate Word)
Loyola University Chicago Walsh University (Brothers of Christian Instruction)
Loyola University Maryland Xavier University of Louisiana (Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament)
Loyola University New Orleans  
Marquette University  
Regis University  
Rockhurst University  
Saint Joseph's University  
Saint Louis University  
Saint Peter's University  
Santa Clara University  
Seattle University  
Spring Hill College  
University of Detroit Mercy  
University of San Francisco  
University of Scranton  
Xavier University