La Salle University
La Salle University is a private Catholic university in the Germantown neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia, founded in 1863 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, a Catholic religious teaching order. Named for Saint John Baptist de La Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers and patron saint of teachers, the university maintains Lasallian traditions of accessible education emphasizing teaching excellence and concern for the poor. With approximately 4,000 students across four schools, La Salle combines liberal arts traditions with professional programs serving students who are often first-generation college attendees.[1]
History
The Christian Brothers started La Salle College in 1863. Initially it offered secondary and collegiate education for young men from working-class Catholic families. Throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the institution expanded significantly, adding programs in business, science, and professional fields while keeping its focus on accessible education for students who might not otherwise attend college. La Salle achieved university status in 1984, recognizing the growth in graduate programs and academic scope.[1]
Coeducation came in 1970, which expanded opportunities for women while diversifying the student body. Over the following decades, new programs, facilities, and campus development continued, though financial challenges in recent years have required program consolidation and strategic refocusing. La Salle's evolution reflects broader patterns in Catholic higher education. From serving immigrant and working-class communities to competing in diverse higher education markets while maintaining its distinctive mission. That's a remarkable transformation.[1]
Academic Programs
Four schools make up La Salle: Arts and Sciences, Business, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Professional Studies. They offer undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Traditional liberal arts disciplines provide the foundation for undergraduate education, while professional programs prepare students for careers in business, nursing, communication, and criminal justice. Graduate programs in business, nursing, education, and professional studies serve working professionals seeking to advance their careers.[1]
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences has built strong clinical partnerships throughout the Philadelphia region, placing students in hospitals, clinics, and community health settings for hands-on experience. Business programs emphasize practical skills alongside theoretical understanding, which reflects La Salle's tradition of preparing students for productive careers. Here's what sets it apart: the university's size allows personalized attention that larger institutions can't match, with small classes and accessible faculty maintaining Lasallian emphasis on the teacher-student relationship.[1]
Campus
La Salle's 133-acre campus in Germantown provides a suburban atmosphere within city limits, with historic buildings and mature landscaping that create collegiate character. Major facilities include Olney Hall, the Connelly Library, the De La Salle Chapel, and the Tom Gola Arena. Construction campaigns have added academic buildings, residence halls, and athletic facilities that modernize the physical plant while respecting architectural traditions.[1]
The Belfield Estate sits adjacent to campus. This historic property includes buildings and grounds associated with artist Charles Willson Peale, connecting La Salle to Philadelphia's colonial and early national history. The Northwest Philadelphia location presents accessibility challenges, but it provides residential character and parking availability that Center City campuses lack. The neighborhood setting integrates the university with the surrounding community in ways that shape student experience and institutional identity.[1]
Athletics
La Salle competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference across seventeen varsity sports. The basketball program carries significant history, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and the legacy of Tom Gola, the Hall of Fame player who led La Salle to the 1954 national championship. Gola returned later as coach, and his name adorns the campus arena, exemplifying La Salle's combination of athletic achievement and institutional loyalty.[1]
Men's and women's basketball, swimming, cross country, and other sports provide opportunities for student-athletes while contributing to campus community. Because the university is relatively small, athletes often participate fully in campus life rather than operating in separate athletic cultures. That approach is consistent with Lasallian values emphasizing whole-person development.[1]
Lasallian Mission
La Salle's identity as a Lasallian institution shapes its programs, culture, and community in ways that distinguish it from secular peers. The Christian Brothers' founding emphasis on education for working-class students continues in commitment to access, affordability, and support for first-generation college students. Lasallian values of faith, service, and community inform programs from service learning to campus ministry to academic support.[1]
Worldwide networks of Lasallian institutions connect La Salle to nearly 1,000 educational institutions serving over one million students across the globe. This network provides opportunities for study, service, and professional development that extend beyond what a single institution could offer. La Salle's participation in Lasallian higher education connects Philadelphia students to traditions and resources spanning centuries and continents.[1]
See Also
- Christian Brothers
- Germantown, Philadelphia
- Tom Gola
- Catholic Higher Education
- Saint Joseph's University