Salve Regina College was chartered by the State of Rhode Island in 1934. By a 1991 amendment to the Charter the name was changed to Salve Regina University. Founded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, Salve Regina was established as an independent institution in the Catholic tradition to provide higher education to women and men. The University acquired property in Newport in 1947 and welcomed its first class of 58 students.
Salve Regina now serves 2,200 men and women from 40 states and 24 foreign countries and boasts over 10,000 alumni and alumnae. The undergraduate Continuing Education programs are based on the liberal arts. There are concentrations in Liberal Studies, Business and Nursing. The University offers Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master’s degrees, the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study, and the Ph. D. in Humanities.
