Holy Family University

Holy Family University offers undergraduate, graduate, and certification programs to 3,600 students at its Philadelphia and Newtown campus locations, with a network of more than 23,000 living alumni. 
Holy Family University is a private institution in the Catholic tradition with campus locations in Philadelphia and Newtown, PA. Founded in 1954, the University is informed by its values-driven mission. Holy Family embraces diversity and inclusion, ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all. The University comprises four schools: Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences. Nestled in the heart of a historic residential neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, and a bucolic setting in Bucks County, the University is just minutes from the excitement of Center City. Holy Family enrolls more than 3,600 students at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and was rated the 2023 Safest College in Philadelphia by Niche.com.

Holy Family University is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. 

Mission Core Values

The following core values inform the University as it seeks to carry out its mission.

Family 
Holy Family University welcomes and cares for students, faculty, and staff as members of a diverse but interconnected family. A community united by a common mission, the University promotes an atmosphere of mutual concern and attention to the spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of all those whom it serves.

Respect 
Holy Family University affirms the dignity of the human person through openness to multiple points of view, personalized attention, and collaborative dialogue in the learning process and in the interaction among members of the University community. The University seeks to instill appreciation of and respect for differences so that its graduates can function successfully in multicultural contexts.

Integrity 
Intent upon forming persons of integrity who recognize the importance of lifelong learning, Holy Family University advocates free and conscientious pursuit of truth and the responsible use of knowledge. It bases education upon a foundation in the liberal arts that highlights the humanities and the natural and social sciences. In keeping with the teachings of the Catholic Church, concern for moral values and social justice guides the University in designing programs and activities.

Service & Responsibility 
Holy Family University incorporates its motto, teneor votis ("I am bound by my responsibilities"), into curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs. Reflecting this motto, educational experiences at the University apply theory to practice and course content to serving human needs. The University educates individuals to become competent professionals and responsible citizens.

Learning 
Holy Family University seeks to instill in its students a passion for truth and a commitment to seeking wisdom. It promotes values-based education, creative scholarship, informed and imaginative use of research and technology, and practical learning opportunities such as Experiential Learning programs. The University seeks to strengthen ethical, logical, and creative thinking; to develop effective communication skills; to nurture an aesthetic sense; and to deepen global, social, and historical awareness.

Vision 
Holy Family University envisions learning as a dynamic and fruitful exchange between traditional sources of wisdom and contemporary developments in knowledge. Throughout the teaching and learning process the University seeks to embody Christian philosophical and theological perspectives. It offers an education grounded in a Judeo-Christian worldview that serves as a foundation upon which to address contemporary problems and to build a vision for the future.