Duquesne University

Duquesne University

Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( /djuːˈkeɪn/ dew-KAYN) is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of 40 students and a faculty of six. In 1911, the college became a university, the first Catholic institution of higher learning in Pennsylvania to achieve such a distinction. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world.

Duquesne has since expanded to over 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students within a self-contained 49-acre (19.8 ha) hilltop campus in Pittsburgh's Bluff neighborhood. The school maintains an associate campus in Rome and encompasses ten schools of study. The university hosts international students from more than 80 countries although most students—about 80%—are from Pennsylvania or the surrounding region. Duquesne is considered a high research activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation. U.S. News and World Report's annual college rankings place Duquesne in the top tier among national universities, with the school ranking 120th among national universities. Duquesne's MBA program is ranked 25th in the world by the Aspen Institute.

Duquesne University can count more than 79,000 living alumni including two cardinals and the current bishop of Pittsburgh.

The Duquesne Dukes compete in NCAA Division I. Duquesne men's basketball appeared twice in national championship games in the 1950s and won the NIT championship in 1955.