Notre Dame de Namur, or NDNU, was founded 170 years ago by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in San Jose. Notre Dame de Namur was originally an all-girls college, but in 1969 became coed. 

Notre Dame de Namur offered many different undergraduate programs such as their School of Business and Management, School of Education and Leadership, College of Arts and Sciences, and their psychology program. 

However, in July of 2024, NDNU announced that they will no longer be an undergraduate residential university. 

Vanessa Gonzaga ’27, a current Riordan student, said, “I don’t think the choice to close the undergrad program was a good one because I feel like it takes away opportunities from possible undergrad students.”

This decision had been in the running for a long period of time, and was mainly caused by a decrease in enrollment. It led to increased operational costs with no money from student tuition to cover it. Many different school programs’ funding got cut, namely sports.

 “I initially attended the school to play D2 Men’s Soccer, but halfway through the school year, NDNU lost funding, so they cut sports, essentially killing the school. More than 60 percent of NDNU’s old student body were athletes,” said Ernesto Cea ’19. 

Cea attended NDNU for only two semesters because of the closure of the university’s athletics department. 

With little funding for resources and school, closing the undergraduate program seemed to be the best decision.

NDNU first started their transition to operate only as a graduate school in 2021, by offering to sell their Belmont campus to Stanford. In September 2021, Stanford had entered an option-to-purchase agreement with Notre Dame de Namur, where Stanford could purchase the Belmont NDNU campus by June of 2025. 

However, in February of 2025, Stanford released a statement saying that they would not follow through with the purchase. This decision was due to many different factors, such as shifts in the higher education environment and economic pressures.

On their website, the university clarifies, “NDNU is open for graduate programs and degrees, however the undergraduate school is closed.”

“Ideally, the campus would be acquired by an organization that respects the historical and educational legacy of NDNU. It would be wonderful to see it continue to serve students through high-quality academic programs while preserving the integrity and beauty of the campus,” said Colleen Mumford Benson. 

Benson graduated from NDNU in 2010, and majored in Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She also earned her master’s degree from NDNU. 

Stanford said that they are committed to supporting the Belmont community, NDNU (as well as the NDNU campus), and will help improve public education. 

In 2022, Notre Dame de Namur partnered with the San Mateo County Community College District to set up a bachelor’s degree program in business administration, and in 2024, NDNU decided to focus on their graduate program. 

NDNU began a shift towards becoming a hybrid university; having online classes, but also in person ones as well. 

The introduction of hybrid learning was part of a greater shift to cater the university towards adult students, especially working adult students in the graduate program.

Benson said, “I believe the shift to hybrid learning is a strong and thoughtful move. It provides greater flexibility for working students, those with families, and commuters, making higher education more accessible despite the challenges they may face.”