Villanova University students heading back this fall will find something the school hasn't offered in its 184-year history: a second campus.

The university opened its Cabrini Campus on Monday, Aug. 10, transforming the 112-acre former Cabrini University site in Radnor Township into a full extension of student life, Patch reported. The expansion adds nearly 30 classrooms, housing for approximately 900 students, a renovated student center and a 100,000-square-foot recreation center, all connected to the main campus by a new shuttle system.

The site sits 2 miles from Villanova's main campus along Lancaster Avenue, a corridor familiar to Lower Merion residents who share the road with university traffic daily.

"As Villanova begins this new chapter, we do so with deep respect for Cabrini's history, mission and the people who shaped it," Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue said in a statement. "The Cabrini Campus will honor the remarkable legacy entrusted to us while expanding our mission in ways that will serve students and society for decades to come."

What students get

The Dixon Center and Nerney Pavilion anchor the recreation offerings: a gym, indoor pool, multiple basketball courts and a suspended indoor track. The Villanova field hockey team will also establish its permanent home on the campus at the former Edith Robb Dixon Field.

Shuttles will run between the two campuses for students, faculty and staff. The university says the campus supports academics, residential living and spiritual facilities.

From closure to expansion

Cabrini University, a Catholic institution founded in 1957, closed after the 2023-24 school year due to financial challenges. Villanova acquired the property in June 2024 and spent roughly two years renovating it. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in October 2024 that Villanova planned $75 million in improvements to the site, describing the project as enabling the university's biggest enrollment increase in decades.

That's a major capacity boost. Villanova enrolled 10,299 students in fall 2024, according to university records, and has historically been constrained by on-campus housing.

The Cabrini Campus is not Villanova's only expansion. Rosemont College, less than a mile from the main campus, is set to close in 2028, with its site becoming Villanova University, Rosemont Campus. Combined with the Cabrini acquisition, Villanova's total footprint now spans 430 acres.

No public open house or specific move-in date for Cabrini Campus students has been announced.