• Universities

Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU) was founded in 1948 as a Catholic junior college in the Lower Gwynedd Township in the state of Pennsylvania. Originally founded by the Sisters of Mercy, GMercyU is one of 16 Catholic colleges and universities in the US that form the Conference for Mercy Higher Education, all of which trace their heritage back to the order. In 1963 the school began awarding four-year bachelor and associate degrees and in 1973 men were first admitted to the college. In 2013 Gwynedd-Mercy College was awarded university status to become Gwynedd Mercy University; the same year more than 800 degrees were awarded at the institution’s largest ever commencement ceremony. The land upon which the university is built was once owned by a Mr James Bond, who wrote a book on bird watching which years later would provide novelist Ian Fleming with the name for his now famous spy.Today, the university offers baccalaureate and associate degrees in some 40 programs, these are spread over five schools: School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing & Health Professions, School of Education, School of Business and the School of Arts and Sciences.The university’s Gwynedd Valley campus covers 160 acres of suburban space with residential, academic and administrative buildings as well as eateries and recreational facilities situated only 25 miles form the city of Philadelphia. GMercyU also has satellite campuses in Philadelphia and East Norriton for adult learners.