The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

with its main campus in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

. It provides courses leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees in education, business administration, the sciences, and arts and humanities. It also has campuses in

Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...

and Mayagüez, as well as a satellite extension in Coamo. It is also home to a

School of Law A law school (also known as a law centre/center, college of law, or faculty of law) is an institution, professional school, or department of a college or university specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for bec ...

and a

School of Architecture This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world. An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is a professional school or institution specializing in architectura ...

. The university also founded a medical school, the Escuela de Medicina de Ponce, in 1977, but in 1980 it became an independent entity that eventually became the

Ponce Health Sciences University The Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), formerly Ponce School of Medicine & Health Sciences, is a private, for-profit university in Ponce, Puerto Rico and St. Louis, Missouri. It awards graduate degrees in Medicine (MD), Clinical Psycholog ...

. The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1948 as Universidad Católica de Santa María, but its name was changed to Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico with the graduation of its first class in 1950.Cristobal Colón. ''A mis amigos de la Universidad Católica.'' Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas, Inc. 1993. Page 8. On 25 January 1991, the name was changed again to its current name, after

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

bestowed the title of

pontifical A pontifical () is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy Orders. While the ...

on the university.

History

The university was founded in spring of 1948 by James E. McManus, C.S.S.R., Bishop of the Diocese of Ponce, and

James Peter Davis James Peter Davis (June 9, 1904 – March 4, 1988) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop (later Archbishop) of San Juan (1943–1964) and Archbishop of Santa Fe (1964–1974). Biography James Davis was born in ...

, Bishop of the Diocese of San Juan. It was founded as the Catholic University of Santa María. "The name Santa María was chosen to honor the Mother of God and to implore her protection and help." Its first president was Monseñor Vicente Murga. The original campus consisted of a few classrooms provided by the

Capuchin Friars The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbr. OFMCap) is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of Franciscans, Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three "Religious institute#Nomenclature, F ...

(OFM) and the

Sisters of Saint Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for Saint Jo ...

, catholic clergymen and nuns, respectively, in the Colegio San Conrado in Ponce, a catholic primary educational school. During 1949, the university acquired from the Government of Puerto Rico (administered by Autoridad de Tierras). This plot of land was located south of the city center proper and was, at the time, part of the ''Ingenio La Reparada'' sugar cane plantation, and being used to feed Central Mercedita sugar mill. The University has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, also referred to as the Middle States Association or MSA, is an accreditor in the United States. Historically, it has accredited schools in the Mid-Atlantic states region of the northeas ...

since 1953.

Presidents

# Vicente Murga (1948 - 1953)Cristóbal Colón. ''A mis amigos de la Universidad Católica.'' Ponce, Puerto Rico: Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas. 1993. p. 9. # William Ferree (1953 - 1956) # Thomas Stanley (1956 - 1961) # John F. Mueller (1961 - 1965) # Theodore McCarrick (1965 - 1969) # Francisco Carreras (1969 - 1981) # Jaime B. Fuster (1981 - 1984) # Tossello GiangiaconoFrancisco Lluch Mora. ''Orígenes y Fundación de Ponce y Otras Noticias Relativas a su Desarrollo Urbano, Demográfico y Cultural (Siglos XVI-XIX).'' San Juan, Puerto Rico: Plaza Mayor. 2001. p. 7. (1984 - 2001) # Jose Alberto Morales (2001 - 2006) # Marcelina Velez de Santiago (2006 - 2010) # Jorge Iván Vélez Arocho (2010–2024) # José A. Frontera Agenjo

Schools

In 1961, the university started the

providing graduate law studies and student exchange programs with other law schools in the United States and in Spain. The school has been host to famous and respected Puerto Rican law professors, including former Puerto Rico governor

Rafael Hernández Colón Rafael Hernández Colón (October 24, 1936 – May 2, 2019) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977 and 1985 to 1993 for a total of three terms. An experienced politician, Hernández held the ...

. In 1976, the university started the

School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

as a graduate medical education program, which, when reorganized, became an independent private institution now known as the

. In 2009, the university opened a

. In 2011, the university announced it was engaging in a $20 million expansion plan that would result in the creation of three new schools over a ten-year period. The three new schools were reported to be a School of Graphical Design, a School of Fashion, and a School of Cinematic Arts.

Campuses

Aside from its main campus in Ponce, specifically on barrio

Canas Urbano Canas Urbano is one of the 31 barrio of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Along with Machuelo Abajo, Magueyes Urbano, Portugués Urbano, and San Antón, Canas Urbano is one of the municipality's five originally rural barrios that are no ...

, on Avenida Las Americas (

PR-163 Puerto Rico Highway 163 (PR-163) is a major two-way thoroughfare in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road has both of its wiktionary:terminus, termini as well as all of its length entirely within the Ponce city limits. The road runs east to west from it ...

), the university has two additional campuses: the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo in Arecibo and the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in Mayagüez. It also has a satellite extension in Coamo. The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture is also a separate campus and is located across from

Plaza Las Delicias Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are locate ...

at the historic Forteza Building in downtown Ponce.

Student life

Notable alumni

* Imna Arroyo * Javier Culson''Men's 400m Hurdles.''
Olympic Games 27 July – 12 August: Official London 2012 website. Retrieved 25 September 2018. *

Juan H. Cintrón García Juan Herminio Cintrón García (11 March 1919 – 22 September 2012) was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican politician and List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1968 to 1972. Under his administration the city ...

* Juan Miguel Betancourt * Julio Brady *

Lymari Nadal Lymari Nadal Torres (born 11 February 1978) is a Puerto Rican actress, film producer and scriptwriter. She has performed in films including '' American Gangster'' and '' Battlestar Galactica: The Plan.'' In 2011, she starred in ''America'', ...

Rafael Cordero Santiago Rafael Cordero Santiago (24 October 1942 – 17 January 2004), better known as "Churumba", was the Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as "El León Mayor ...

* Luisa R. Seijo Maldonado *

Wichie Torres Wichie Torres (29 March 1952 – 7 February 2020) was a Puerto Rican oil canvas painter. He was an exponent of the costumbrismo movement. He is also the first person in the Central America and Caribbean region to have ever undergone two indepe ...

* Rafael Cartagena Ródriguez

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Pontifical universities Catholic universities and colleges in Puerto Rico Universities and colleges established in 1948 Liga Atletica Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico Universities and colleges in Ponce, Puerto Rico 1948 establishments in Puerto Rico