Vanderbilt Opens Campus in San Francisco

Vanderbilt University Expands to San Francisco

Vanderbilt University is set to establish a new campus in San Francisco, marking a significant expansion for the Tennessee-based institution. The announcement was made by Mayor Daniel Lurie at City Hall, where he highlighted the university’s decision to acquire the buildings and facilities of the California College of the Arts (CCA), which will close in 2027 due to financial difficulties.

The move comes after years of effort by Lurie’s team to attract new universities to the city. Vanderbilt’s decision to open a physical presence in San Francisco signals confidence in the city’s potential as a hub for innovation and creativity.

"We shared all the things that make San Francisco the center of innovation, a hub for creativity and a city on the rise, and we were honest about our challenges and opportunities," said Lurie. "Vanderbilt’s decision sends a powerful message. It says that San Francisco remains one of the world’s great places to live, to learn and to innovate. It says that this city is still a place where new ideas are born, tested and created."

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, who began his tenure in 2019, emphasized the university’s goal of creating a campus where the education of engineers and entrepreneurs would integrate with that of artists and designers.

"Our goal in a sentence, is to create a place that creates creators," said Diermeier. "Our vision reflects the belief that technology is now inseparable from the most profound questions related to human experience and human flourishing. How we design our technologies must take into account our understanding of what it means to be human."

This expansion follows recent moves by Vanderbilt to establish campuses in New York City and West Palm Beach. San Francisco is the latest addition to its growing portfolio of campuses outside of Tennessee.

The new campus will occupy the spaces currently used by CCA in the Showplace Square neighborhood of San Francisco, near Mission Bay. CCA announced last year that it would wind down operations due to financial challenges.

"Our goal in a sentence, is to create a place that creates creators."

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier

Calvin Wheeler, chair of the CCA board, expressed both sorrow and optimism regarding the school’s closure. In a press release, he acknowledged the challenge of the moment but also the opportunity presented by the agreement with Vanderbilt.

"On behalf of CCA’s Board of Trustees, I want to acknowledge both the challenge of this moment, as well as the opportunity," said Wheeler. "For nearly 120 years, CCA has been providing an innovative arts and design education to students from the San Francisco Bay Area, across California and around the world. At the same time, given our financial challenges, we recognize that this agreement with Vanderbilt is the best opportunity to carry forward this legacy, and we are grateful to Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Mayor Daniel Lurie for supporting our work during this time."

Vanderbilt plans to honor the legacy of CCA by establishing the new California College of the Arts Institute at Vanderbilt, a center that will expand the university’s visual arts offerings for students.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the area where the campus will be located, welcomed the news. He described the move as ambitious and emphasized the importance of the investment in San Francisco’s future.

"This is really ambitious, and I think people really need to understand that this is a world-class institution that is making a long-term investment in San Francisco and the opportunities for synergy here," said Dorsey. "I think this is just incredibly important to the future of San Francisco, future of our economy and the neighborhood that is going to benefit from it in the Showplace Square and Design District area."

Diermeier did not disclose the financial details of the agreement but stated that Vanderbilt has developed a long-term plan to ensure the new campus’s presence in the city for decades.

Plans for course offerings are still being finalized, and Vanderbilt is actively searching for staff and faculty for the new campus. The campus is expected to open for the 2027-28 academic year, pending regulatory approvals, and will accommodate approximately 1,000 undergraduates. Housing previously used by CCA will be renovated and used by Vanderbilt.