Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, historically Black, Catholic university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, it is the only historically Black Catholic university in the United States. Xavier offers undergraduate and graduate programs across the arts and sciences, pharmacy, health sciences, business, and education. The university is especially known for preparing African American students for careers in medicine and the sciences, as well as for its College of Pharmacy. Students drawn to Xavier University of Louisiana often seek a faith-based academic environment with a strong focus on service, social justice, and professional preparation.

Xavier University of Louisiana was founded in 1925 in New Orleans by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Its origins trace to 1915, when Drexel established a high school to provide educational opportunities for African American students in the segregated South. In September 1925, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences was formally opened, and Josephite priest Edward Brunner became the first president of Xavier University of Louisiana. Over the decades, the university expanded its academic offerings, including the establishment of its College of Pharmacy, which became a significant center for educating Black pharmacists. During the presidency of Norman C. Francis from 1968 to 2015, enrollment grew and the campus expanded, even rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the 2020s, Xavier University of Louisiana announced plans for the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, marking a major step in its continued development in health education.