Vanderbilt University announced it plans to establish a full-time academic campus in San Francisco beginning in 2027, pending regulatory approvals, expanding the university’s national footprint and positioning the school to develop interdisciplinary academic programming in one of the world’s leading centers for technology, entrepreneurship, and creative industries.
The university said the planned San Francisco campus is expected to serve about 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students and support sustained faculty, staff, and academic activity. Vanderbilt framed the initiative as the next step in a broader strategy to extend its academic model beyond Nashville, building on new centers of learning and collaboration it has launched in New York City and West Palm Beach.
Vanderbilt said it has reached an agreement with the California College of the Arts under which Vanderbilt would acquire CCA’s San Francisco campus after CCA winds down operations in 2027, subject to regulatory and transactional requirements. Vanderbilt said the arrangement is intended to keep the site active as a center for academic innovation after CCA closes while honoring CCA’s legacy in the Bay Area, including plans to operate a California College of the Arts Institute at Vanderbilt that will include the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts.
The university said it also plans to support exhibitions and presentations on contemporary art and other topics tied to CCA’s historical significance, maintain the college’s archival materials, and use the institute to support alumni engagement. Vanderbilt said it expects to invest in the site’s existing infrastructure to support its academic offerings, including interdisciplinary programs intended to foster innovation and creativity.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said San Francisco offers an environment for learning at the intersection of innovation, creativity, and technology, and he said the university expects to become a long-term partner in the city while carrying forward CCA’s contributions. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said Vanderbilt’s decision to invest in the city signals confidence in San Francisco’s momentum, and he said the university will help continue the work of educating creative leaders while preserving CCA’s legacy.
Vanderbilt said it plans to obtain all required approvals to operate in California. The university said academic programming for the campus is in development and will undergo review and approval by relevant accrediting and regulatory bodies, while the San Francisco campus will reflect Vanderbilt’s emphasis on academic excellence, interdisciplinary learning, and real-world engagement.
Vanderbilt said it expects its interdisciplinary model in San Francisco to integrate engineering, entrepreneurship, and design with a foundation in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, with the goal of blending creativity and analysis and expanding immersive learning opportunities rooted in an urban environment. The university said the campus will also focus on educating artists, makers, and designers whose work bridges creative expression and technological innovation.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey said the initiative represents a long-term investment that could create opportunities for collaboration in technology, design, life sciences, and other areas, including in and around the Showplace Square area and adjacent District 6 neighborhoods.
CCA said it intends to continue instruction and operations through the 2026–27 academic year, allowing students to progress in and/or complete their programs. Vanderbilt said it anticipates opening its San Francisco campus for students in the 2027–28 academic year, pending approvals and other required processes, while CCA said it will communicate additional information to its community directly.
Vanderbilt said faculty engagement and shared governance will be central to the development of the San Francisco campus. The university said a faculty advisory committee, chaired by Jonathan Metzl of the College of Arts and Science, is working with university leadership to shape the academic vision, guiding principles, and pathways for academic programming, and Vanderbilt said all programs will undergo faculty review and approval as well as review by relevant accrediting and regulatory bodies.
The committee members are Maria Magdalena “Magda” Campos-Pons, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Art, College of Arts and Science; Kevin Galloway, Research Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering; Major Jackson, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing, College of Arts and Science; Shaul Kelner, Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology and Associate Professor of Culture, Advocacy and Leadership and German, Russian and East European Studies, College of Arts and Science; Jonathan Metzl, Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, College of Arts and Science, committee chair; Vesna Pavlović, Paul E. Schwab Professor in Fine Arts and Chair of the Department of Art, College of Arts and Science; Nilanjan Sarkar, Senior Associate Dean and Vice Dean of the School of Engineering, David K. Wilson Professor of Engineering, and Professor of Computer Science, School of Engineering and College of Connected Computing; Julian Wuerth, Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Associate Professor of Philosophy, College of Arts and Science; Catherine Loss (ex officio), Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of the Practice of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, Peabody College; Tiffiny Tung (ex officio), Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Ingram Professor in Anthropology, College of Arts and Science; and Duane Watson (ex officio), Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Frank W. Mayborn Professor in Cognitive Science, and professor of psychology and human development, Peabody College.
Vanderbilt said details about timing, facilities, faculty participation, and academic programming will be announced as planning progresses and as it continues working with the city of San Francisco on next steps.
KEY QUOTES:
“San Francisco offers an extraordinary environment for learning at the intersection of innovation, creativity and technology, and it provides an unparalleled setting for Vanderbilt to shape the future of higher education. By establishing a significant full-time presence here, Vanderbilt is expanding the ways our students and faculty engage with the world’s most innovative cities and advancing our core mission of education and discovery. We are grateful to Mayor Lurie for his leadership and support, and we look forward to being a long-term partner in San Francisco as Vanderbilt continues to grow its reach and impact. At the same time, we recognize the enduring contributions of the California College of the Arts and are committed to honoring and celebrating the creative legacy the CCA community has built over more than a century.”
Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor, Vanderbilt University
“Vanderbilt’s decision to invest in our city is a powerful testament to the fact that San Francisco is on the rise. My administration is building a thriving city core where people live, work, play and learn, and now we’re welcoming another institution that will invest for the long term. As Vanderbilt establishes its presence, they will carry forward CCA’s legacy and continue the work of educating the next generation of creative leaders in our city.”
Daniel Lurie, Mayor, San Francisco
“Vanderbilt is a top-tier research university with a global faculty base and the ability to sustain long-term research and teaching investments in a way few other educational institutions can. Kudos to Mayor Lurie and his team for attracting this kind of educational partnership for San Francisco. I know there’s a lot of excitement about this announcement in the Showplace Square area and adjacent District 6 neighborhoods. This is a generational investment that offers some incredible opportunities for collaboration in technology, design, life sciences and more.”
Matt Dorsey, Supervisor, San Francisco
“On behalf of CCA’s Board of Trustees, I want to acknowledge both the challenge of this moment, as well as the opportunity. 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. CCA’s impact is demonstrated through our global alumni of artists and creative professionals. 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.”
Dr. Calvin Wheeler, Board Chair, California College of the Arts
