About

University Facts

The moment you visit Fairfield University, everything feels different.

Our scenic, 200-acre campus is situated on the Connecticut coastline, just 60-minutes away from the heart of Manhattan and less than a mile from the beaches of Long Island Sound. But it’s more than just our surroundings that make our campus unique — it’s our commitment to each and every student’s personal and professional growth and their journey to becoming individuals of purpose.

For more than 80 years, Fairfield University has been graduating adept, accomplished, and socially responsible leaders in an academic community where the learning goes deeper, the friendships are more meaningful, and the experiences stay with you long after graduation. As a values-based, student-centric, outcomes-focused Jesuit Catholic University, we are committed to educating the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — and providing students with experiential learning and professional development opportunities that give them a competitive edge in today’s job market. At Fairfield, the future is filled with opportunities as limitless as your potential, and they all begin with you.

1942

Founded

Mark R. Nemec, PhD

President

Per Fidem Ad Plenam Veritatem

(Through Faith to Full Truth)
Motto

Red and White

Colors

Lucas the Stag

Mascot

Fairfield, Connecticut

Location

Only Jesuit Catholic University

in Connecticut

Student Facts

4,900

Undergraduate Students

1,250

Graduate Students

States Represented

Countries Represented

Average Class Size

91%

Student Retention Rate

95%

Students Receive Financial Aid

98.1%

Students who secure full-time employment, admission to graduate programs, or participation in volunteer service programs six months after graduation

Academics Facts

Undergraduate Majors & Minors

Interdisciplinary Minors

Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree Programs

Graduate Programs

Online Graduate Programs

Schools

Study Abroad Programs

300

Research Projects Conducted Annually

Rankings

#115

in the National Universities

— U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2023

Best College Campus in Connecticut

— Niche's 2023 Best Colleges Rankings

Top 1%

for Long Term Value

— Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce

Top 15

Best Catholic Colleges in America

— College Consensus

Top 5%

of Colleges and Universities in the Nation

— College Factual

More Rankings & Accolades

Campus Facts

200

Acre Campus

Minute Drive to the Beach

Minute Train Ride to New York City

Academic Facilities

Residential Halls

Athletic Facilities

100+

Clubs & Student Organizations

Faculty Stats

12:1

Student-to-Faculty Ratio

336

Full-time Faculty

352

Part-time Faculty

90%

Faculty with Highest Degree in their Field

Athletics Stats

NCAA Division 1 Varsity Athletics

MAAC Tournament Championships

MAAC Regular Season Championships

NCAA Tournament Appearances

95%

Student-Athlete Graduation Rate

283

Student-Athletes on the MAAC Honor Roll

Accreditations

New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

Connecticut State Department of Higher Education (CTOHE)

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation Programs (CAEP/NCATE)

All Accreditations

Notable Young Alumni

Casey DelBasso ‘15

Digital Journalist

Good Morning America

Haley Falls ‘19

Partnership Marketing Coordinator

Marvel Entertainment

Nick Mudry ‘17

Pediatric Emergency Department Registered Nurse

Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital

Kyle Scherer ’15, MA ’16

Lead Software Engineer

Nasdaq

Marissa Toselli ‘12

Senior Manager, Global Brand Marketing & Development

Hasbro

Danielle (Tullo) La Testa ‘15

Deputy Editor

Seventeen

Matt Turner ‘16

Professional Soccer Player

US Men's National Team &
Arsenal Football Club

Daniel Weber ‘11

Senior Data Analyst

Major League Baseball

Notable Alumni

Donatella Arpaia '93

Famous Chef, Restaurateur & TV Personality

Sam Borden, MFA ‘13

Global Sports Correspondent

'ESPN

Sheila Kearney Davidson '83

Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer

New York Life Insurance Company

Dr. Roni DeLuz, RN, ND, PhD '78

Founder & Director

Martha’s Vineyard Holistic Retreat

Joseph DiMenna ‘80

Founding Partner, Chief Executive, Manager Director

Zweig-DiMenna Associates

Paula Donovan ‘77

Co-Director

Aids Free World

William P. Egan ’67, P’99

Founder

Alta Communications

Douglas W. Hammond ‘86

Chairman & CEO

NFP

Patrick Hendrickson ‘10

Global Marketing Lead

Amazon Studios

Ursula Hurley ‘04

Chief Financial Officer

JetBlue

Susan Robinson King, MA’73

Journalist, Dean, and John Thomas Kerr Distinguished Professor

Hussman School of Journalism & Media at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Katherine N. Lapp ‘78

Executive Vice President

Harvard University

Paul Marcarelli ‘92

Actor, Writer, and Producer

John C. Meditz ‘70

Managing Director & Co-Founder

Horizon-Kinetics, LLC

Rear Admiral Brian Monahan, MC, USN ‘82

Attending Physician

U.S. Congress and Supreme Court

Kathleen A. Murphy ‘84

Retired

Fidelity Personal Investing

Robert J. Murphy Jr. ‘71

Vice President

ABC News

Teresa Pirolo ‘05

News Anchor/ Reporter

FOX 5 New York

Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM ‘87

Chief Clinical Transformation Officer

University Hospitals

Kala Rama ‘05

Anchor

WPIX 11 News

Mark Reed ’96, MBA ‘02