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Regis University

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Former names Las Vegas College (1877)
College of the Sacred Heart (1887)
Regis College (1921–1991)
Motto Men and Women in Service of Others
Type Private university
Established 1877
Accreditation HLC
Religious affiliation Catholic
(Jesuit)
Academic affiliations AJCU ACCU
NAICU CIC
Endowment Endowment: $118.8 million (2026)[1]
President Shawna Cooper Whitehead
Provost Jacob Bucher
Faculty 302 full-time, 376 part-time (fall 2022)[2]
Students 4,627 (fall 2024)[3]
Undergraduates 2,704 (fall 2024)[3]
Postgraduates 1,923 (fall 2024)[3]
Location Denver
,
Colorado
,
United States
Campus 90 acres (36 ha)
Urban
Colors Blue and gold[4]
Nickname Rangers
Sporting affiliations NCAA Division II – Rocky Mountain
Mascot Regi the Ranger
Website regis.edu

Regis University (/ˈriːdʒɪs/ REE-jiss)[5] is a private Catholic university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1877 by the Society of Jesus,[6][7] the university offers more than 100 degree programs in a variety of subjects including education, liberal arts, business, nursing, and technology. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[8] Regis is the only Jesuit university in the Rocky Mountain region.[9]

History

In 1877, a group of exiled Italian Jesuits established a small college in Las Vegas, New Mexico.[10] The Jesuits named this institution Las Vegas College which would ultimately become known as Regis University.[10]

In 1884, the Bishop of Denver invited the Jesuits to create a college in Morrison, Colorado, where Sacred Heart College was opened. In 1887, Las Vegas College and Sacred Heart College merged and moved to the present location of Regis University. At the time of the merger, the school was then called the College of the Sacred Heart. Later, in 1921, it adopted the name of Regis College in honor of John Francis Regis, a 17th-century Jesuit who worked with prostitutes and the poor in the mountains of Southern France. The preparatory section was separated to become the present-day Regis Jesuit High School.

In 1991, Regis College was renamed Regis University.

Regis University played host to the rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968,[11] as well as the British rock band Queen, who played their first concert in the United States at Regis, on April 16, 1974.[12]

In 2011, Regis academic programs expanded with partnerships with the National University of Ireland, Galway, and with ITESO, the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first online bilingual joint MBA degree program.[13]

The university's president is Shawna Cooper Whitehead, the first woman to hold the role.[14]

In 2023, Regis University was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), meaning that more than 25% of its student population is Hispanic or Latinx.[15]

Papal visit

On August 12, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Northwest Denver Campus of Regis University, where he met with President Bill Clinton for the first time. They greeted about 150 visitors, who had been chosen through a lottery system, and met privately for an hour in the President's Dining Room of Carroll Hall.[16]

Schools

Regis College

Regis College houses the university's undergraduate programs—including traditional and post-traditional offerings—as well as the Master of Arts in Education, Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Master of Science in Environmental Biology programs. These programs serve recent high school graduates, transfer students, and adult learners. Regis college offers a choice of majors, minors, emphases, and pre-professional tracks. Students wishing to enter the nursing, physical therapy, or pharmacy programs often enter Regis College to complete pre-requisite requirements.[17]

Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions

When Regis absorbed her sister school in 1988, Loretto Heights College, the Rueckert Hartman College for Health Professions was born.[18] Regis operates a nationally recognized nursing program, and one of the premiere physical therapist programs.[19] The college is divided into four schools: Loretto Heights School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Physical Therapy, and School of Mental and Behavioral Health. The college offers three doctoral programs, Doctor of Nursing Practice (entirely on-line), Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Pharmacy.[20]

Anderson College of Business and Computing

In 2015, the College of Business and Economics was officially established to combine the Regis College Division of Business and the College for Professional Studies School of Management and Master of Nonprofit Management. After a donation made by Denver architect Andy Anderson in 2018, the college was renamed to the Anderson College of Business. The college offers both classroom-based and online course options.[21]

Center for Service Learning

Regis University's Center for Service Learning (CSL) facilitates student voluntary service, the development of service learning components in coursework, and placement among the needier members of society for those with work study awards.[22] These are essential components of the university's mission to train men and women for others.[23]

Athletics

Regis University is in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference along with Adams State, Black Hills State, Chadron State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mines, CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines, UC-Colorado Springs, Westminster, and Western Colorado University. The university offers men’s baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women's volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s lacrosse, women’s softball, and women’s indoor/outdoor track and field.

Rankings

Regis University consistently holds prominent positions in regional and national academic rankings, particularly for its online programs and health care offerings. Both Forbes and University HQ have recognized Regis as the number-one online college in Colorado, highlighting its strengths in online education. Nationally, U.S. News and World Report ranked the university's physical therapy school 34th in the country. Within the state, the university's nursing division frequently achieves top placements, including being named the top nursing school in Colorado by Niche and College Factual.

The university also sees high performance metrics across its business, computing and social science programs, with College Factual noting that Regis graduates earn the highest starting salaries in Colorado for bachelor's degrees in economics and social sciences. Regis's academic programs maintain specialized industry credentials, including engineering and technology accreditation from ABET, nursing accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and business recognition from the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management. Additionally, the institution is recognized by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

Notable alumni

Political figures

Athletes

Artists and media figures

Other notable alumni

See also

References

  1. Back to citation "Financial Affairs". Regis University. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  2. Back to citation "College Navigator - Regis University". National Center for Education Statistics. 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 "Regis University Student Life". U.S. News & World Report.
  4. Back to citation Regis University Brand Standards (PDF). Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  5. Back to citation "Regis University. Values that Elevate". YouTube. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  6. Back to citation "Regis University: About Regis". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  7. Back to citation "AJCU". AJCU. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  8. Back to citation "Regis University Accreditation". Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  9. Back to citation "Regis University Facts". regis.edu.
  10. Back to citation occurrence 10.0 Back to citation occurrence 10.1 "College Profiles - Regis University". collegeprofiles.com. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  11. Back to citation "February 14, 1968 The Experience perform at Regis College in Denver, Colorado". The Official Jimi Hendrix Site.
  12. Back to citation Hernandez, Elizabeth (2018-11-05). "Queen's first U.S. performance was right here in Denver". Denver Post.
  13. Back to citation "portal.iteso.mx". Archived from the original on 2011-08-14. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  14. Back to citation "President of Regis University | Jesuit College in Denver Colorado". Regis University.
  15. Back to citation "Hispanic-Serving Institution". Regis University. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
  16. Back to citation "Presidential Meeting with Pope". C-SPAN.org. 1993-08-12. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
  17. Back to citation "regis.edu". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  18. Back to citation "About Regis: Loretto Heights College Timeline". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  19. Back to citation "U.S. News & World Report: Best Schools for Nursing". Archived from the original on 2009-02-11. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  20. Back to citation "regis.edu". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  21. Back to citation "College of Business and Economics| Regis University". www.regis.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  22. Back to citation "Center for Service Learning". Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  23. Back to citation "Men for Others". onlineministries.creighton.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  24. Back to citation "hss.energy.gov" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  25. Back to citation "The Heritage Foundation, Biography: Edwin J. Feulner". Archived from the original on September 13, 2002. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  26. Back to citation "Archives |". www.colorado.gov. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  27. Back to citation Dianne Primavera
  28. Back to citation "Representative Summers". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  29. Back to citation "George Hekkers Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  30. Back to citation "Regis Office of Alumni and Parent Relations: Service Learning and Journalism Unite". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  31. Back to citation "Regis University dropout Bill Murray earns stripes with honorary degree – The Denver Post". 16 July 2007. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  32. Back to citation "Founder of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps movement dies". Catholic Sentinel. 2012-10-02. Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2012-10-11.

39°47′21.33″N 105°1′59.72″W / 39.7892583°N 105.0332556°W

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