The roots of Neumann University began in 1855 when Bishop John Neumann approved the request of Anna Maria Boll Bachmann to start a religious community of Franciscan Sisters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of the next century, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia grew to the point where they needed a college to assist in their mission of educating and caring for the people in south eastern Pennsylvania and beyond. Neumann University was founded as Our Lady of Angels College with 115 female students in 1965 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The name was changed to Neumann College in 1980 in honor of Saint John Neumann, a former Bishop of Philadelphia. Neumann admitted its first male undergraduate students in 1980. The college was granted approval to offer its first doctoral program in 2004, and its second doctoral program in 2005. Neumann achieved "university status" from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2009.
Academics
Neumann University is made up of five academic divisions: the Division of Arts and Sciences, the Division of Business and Information Management, the Division of Nursing and Health Sciences, the Division of Education and Human Services, and the Division of Continuing Adult and Professional Studies. As of the fall of 2017, the university has a total enrollment of 2,715; in fall 2016, the university had a total enrollment of 3,011. In academic year 2015-16, the university conferred 676 academic degrees: five associate degrees ; 524 bachelor's degrees ; 113 master's degrees ; and 34 doctorates. Total tuition, fees, room, and board for a full-time undergraduate student in 2016-17 were $40,738. As of spring 2016, some 57% of undergraduates were Roman Catholic. Over the course of the last three years and building upon their large undergraduate program in Nursing, Neumann University has been expanding into the health care field by introducing new concentrations such as pre-Physical Therapy, pre-Occupational Therapy, pre-Athletic Training as well as introducing a new Health Sciences Major with tracks in exercise physiology and strength and conditioning. All of these new concentrations will be housed in Neumann's new Health Science Center which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018. The Health Science Center will contain a state of the art undergraduate nursing teaching auditorium that seats close to 300 students. About 49% of undergraduate students are white, 31% are black, and 9% are Hispanic. Some 65% of undergraduates are female, and 35% are male. As of fall 2017, about 60% of undergraduates were from Pennsylvania, 16% were from New Jersey, and 18% were from Delaware.
Athletics
Neumann University is a member of the Atlantic East Conference as well as the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. It competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division III. In 2009 Neumann University's men's ice hockey team won the NCAA Division IIINational Championship. In the summer of 2012, Neumann University constructed the Mirenda Center, a 72,000 square foot athletic complex which houses an indoor track, NCAA Division III regulation basketball court, dance studios, student lounges, a classroom, weight and cardio rooms as well as the Center for Sport Spirituality and Character Development. Neumann sponsors 12 women's athletic teams and 10 men's teams. In addition the 22 varsity teams, Neumann University also has a very active club sports roster which includes baseball, basketball, cheer leading, a dance team, ice hockey, roller hockey as well as men's and women's rugby. Most recently, Neumann University won back to back national championships as part of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association.
Campus
At Neumann University, there are four residence halls: three on-campus "Living and Learning Centers" plus one nearby apartment complex leased for student housing known as the Buoni Building.
