Among academia on the Main Line, Villanova University is a big fish and getting bigger.
First, it acquired Cabrini College in June 2023, a surprise to many locals, who thought Rosemont College would be the first to go, with its low enrollment and rising costs.
Rosemont did follow, however, in late March 2025, when Villanova and Rosemont made a deal that Rosemont’s campus would officially be part of Villanova by the fall of 2026, writes Michael Bradley for Main Line Today.
Even so, this isn’t a typical merger.
Neil Lefkowitz, a partner with the international law firm Loeb & Loeb, who has handled several collegiate mergers, is impressed with how Rosemont and Villanova worked together.
He praised the work of Villanova general counsel Michael Zubey and associate general counsel Elyse Crawford, who is also Villanova’s new board chair.
Mazzeo reached out to her counterpart at Rosemont, Maria Feeley.
“As we spoke, I told her that Rosemont was thinking about doing some things,” Feeley says. “From there, [the merger] happened organically.”
“We had no intention of ever closing,” Feeley said. “We were looking for a partner to ensure our legacy and tradition moving forward.”
Read more to find out details of the merger between Villanova and Rosemont College in Main Line Today.
