History

SHU has a history of putting students first. The University was founded in 1963 to serve the needs of aspiring college students in the Bridgeport area. Since then, SHU’s relentless focus on its mission has led it to become one of the fastest-growing and most forward-looking Catholic university in the country.

The History of Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University was founded in 1963 by the Most Rev. Walter W. Curtis, second bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, to provide an institution of higher education that would serve the people of the diocese and region, regardless of sex, race, creed or religion. In October 1962, Bishop Curtis announced both the plan to open a college the following September, and its name, “Sacred Heart.” The choice of the name had a dual origin: it was the name of the bishop’s first pastorate in Bloomfield, NJ, and was a pledge from the bishop attesting to the value of such an institution.

Signs of the University’s growth and vibrancy are evident. Enrollment has risen from the original class of fewer than 200 undergraduate students to over 11,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Over the years, Sacred Heart has grown to become the second-largest Catholic university in New England and, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the country.

The University has enhanced the undergraduate student experience in many notable ways. In 1990, it accepted, for the first time, students who wanted the residential experience. There are now 15 residential areas on or close to campus that feature housing options ranging from residence halls to suite and apartment-style living. About 91% of first-year students and 50% of all undergraduates reside in University housing. Pioneer Village, located in SHU's Upper Quad, is home to eight of the University's residence halls, as well as student dining options, such as Thea's Abbey and JP's Diner.

‌New degree programs and majors in relevant disciplines are regularly added to SHU’s curriculum, and the University now offers more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its campus in Fairfield, CT, and satellite campus in Dingle, Ireland. The University consists of five colleges and three schools: College of Arts & Sciences, the AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, College of Health Professions, Davis & Henley College of Nursing, Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development, School of Communication, Media & the Arts, School of Social Work and School of Computer Science & Engineering.

The Princeton Review's 2025 guidebook, The Best 390 Colleges, places SHU among the best universities while U.S. News & World Report’s guidebook, Best Colleges 2024, reports Sacred Heart as one of the best universities in the nation.

The University offers Division I athletics with 33 varsity teams. The William Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center is the exclusive domain of the Division I athletes. The Valentine Health & Recreation Center is a state-of-the-art recreation center open to all students. It includes a suspended track, bowling lanes and a climbing wall.

The campus currently comprises more than 300 acres, including the 18-hole Great River Golf Course and the former global headquarters of General Electric, which is now SHU’s West Campus. West Campus houses the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development and Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, which includes the School of Computer Science & Engineering. West Campus is an innovative campus with an IDEA Lab for engineering students and incubator space where business students can work with local businesspeople on projects. West Campus is also home to the Martire Family Arena, SHU’s $70 million premier hockey and skating arena.

‌The Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts is home to the School of Communication, Media & the Arts. The Center for Healthcare Education opened in the fall of 2017 with 117,000 square feet of exceptional laboratory and learning facilities. An ever-widening outreach to the community balances the University’s commitment to academic excellence. More than 1,800 students, faculty and staff members volunteer in excess of 118,000 hours to community service each year.

To read more about our history, download "1963", by Michael W. Higgins, Ph.D.