Massachusetts's campuses and the stories they hold.
The Story
Western New England University started in 1919 as night classes for working adults in Springfield. Today it is a private university on a 215-acre campus on Wilbraham Road. It has colleges of arts and sciences, business, engineering, and pharmacy and health sciences, plus a law school. WNE says that law school is the only one in Massachusetts outside the Boston area. The Golden Bears field 23 NCAA Division III teams.
About this site
Western New England University is a college & university in Springfield, Hampden County. It is one of 8 colleges & universities documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.1148, -72.5205 near Springfield. The nearest cataloged historic site is American International College (college & university), about 1.9 miles away. Others within a short drive include New Bay Diner - Route 66 Diner, Springfield College, and Indian Motorcycle Company.
This record is drawn from MassRoam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Western New England University different
The first building on the Wilbraham Road campus, today's Emerson Hall, opened in 1959. wne.edu
The campus started with 34 acres in 1956. It now covers 215 acres, with 28 major buildings and many athletic fields. wne.edu
In October 2026 WNE became the third university in the world, after Columbia and Yeshiva, to join the FinTech Open Source Foundation, a Linux Foundation project. wne.edu
An extended-reality (XR) lab with virtual, augmented and mixed-reality equipment opened inside D'Amour Library on January 30, 2025. wne.edu
Occupational therapy students run the B.E.A.R. P.A.W. Center, a pro bono clinic in the School of Law building. WNE describes it as one of the first student-run OT pro bono clinics in the country. wne.edu
A new Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems opened with a ribbon-cutting during President Hartman's installation week in September 2026. wne.edu
Bpayne4001 / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
History
Western New England University began in 1919 as the Springfield division of Northeastern College, offering part-time evening classes in law, business, and accounting to working adults in rented rooms at the Springfield YMCA. In 1951 it received an independent charter and was renamed Western New England College, and it purchased its present campus on Wilbraham Road in Springfield in 1956. The institution became Western New England University in 2011.
The school granted its first degrees in 1922, when 13 students earned the Bachelor of Commercial Science, and the first seven law graduates followed in 1923. One of the evening law students was Larry O'Brien, who finished in 1942 and later chaired the Democratic National Committee and served as NBA commissioner. After the move to Wilbraham Road, the college started its first daytime program in 1956, in engineering, with 53 students. An expanded charter in 1959 let it award bachelor's degrees in business, science, engineering, education and law. A School of Arts and Sciences followed in 1967.
From the 1960s through the 1990s the campus grew to include the D'Amour Library, the Blake Law Center, the St. Germain Campus Center and the Alumni Healthful Living Center. Commonwealth Hall and Golden Bear Stadium opened in 2003. In 2008 the charter was expanded again to add a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis. In 2010 the college opened a College of Pharmacy, which now also offers occupational therapy, along with a new Center for the Sciences and Pharmacy.
The university's leadership changed in 2025 and 2026. Robert E. Johnson, president since 2020, left in 2025, and Michael Alexander served as interim president. Joseph C. Hartman, an engineer who had been provost at UMass Lowell, became the seventh president on June 1, 2026, and was installed that September.
Best Colleges in America, 3.5 stars — Money, 2026source
#311 among national universities — Washington Monthly, 2025source
Majors & programs
WNE teaches through four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences) and a School of Law. Many programs are combined or accelerated, such as 3+3 law and occupational therapy tracks and five-year bachelor's-plus-master's degrees in engineering and business. See the official lists for current programs.
Known for
Law
WNE says its School of Law is the only law school in Massachusetts outside the Boston area. It offers the J.D., an LL.M. in Elder Law and Estate Planning, and dual degrees with business, social work and engineering management.
Known for
Business
The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International. WNE says it is the only private institution in western Massachusetts with that accreditation.
Known for
Civil engineering and surveying
WNE's surveying team took first place at the ASCE regional competition in 2025 and again in 2026, earning a second straight trip to the national finals.
Known for
Pharmacy and occupational therapy
The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, founded in 2010, awards the Doctor of Pharmacy and the Doctor of Occupational Therapy, a rare pairing for a private university in western Massachusetts.
Known for
Communication and broadcast journalism
Graduates of the Communication program have won Emmy Awards in local TV news, and Tyler Unwin '14 of KIRO 7 in Seattle has also won an Edward R. Murrow Award.
All degree programs at Western New England University (5)
College of Arts and Sciences
Majors include Biology, Chemistry, Communication, Criminal Justice, Creative Writing, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Economics, Elementary Education and English
College of Business
Majors include Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance and Marketing, plus the MBA and MSA
College of Engineering
Majors include Biomedical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management, plus master's and Ph.D. programs
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy and pharmaceutical sciences degrees
School of Law
J.D., LL.M. in Elder Law and Estate Planning, and joint degrees
Larry O'Brien — chairman of the Democratic National Committee, U.S. Postmaster General and NBA commissioner; namesake of the NBA championship trophy (law degree, 1942) en.wikipedia.org
Anthony Katagas — producer who shared the Academy Award for Best Picture for '12 Years a Slave'; majored in government and captained the lacrosse team en.wikipedia.org
Tim Murray — Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and former mayor of Worcester (J.D.) en.wikipedia.org
Thomas S. Moorman Jr. — retired general and Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force (MBA, 1972) en.wikipedia.org
Thomas G. Bowman — U.S. Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 2017–2018 (J.D.) en.wikipedia.org
John E. Sweeney — U.S. Representative from New York (J.D., 1981) en.wikipedia.org
Gale D. Candaras — Massachusetts state senator and Hampden County Register of Probate (J.D., 1983) en.wikipedia.org
Rodney Smith — Greco-Roman wrestler and 1992 Olympic bronze medalist (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Tommy Tallarico — video game composer and co-creator of Video Games Live (attended for a year) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
96% of WNE's Class of 2025 were employed or in graduate or professional school within six months of graduating. This is WNE's own figure from its Career Center's first-destination survey. By college, the rates were 95% for Arts and Sciences, 96% for Business, 95% for Engineering and 100% for Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The employers below come from the Career Center's lists of where Class of 2023 engineering and business graduates went to work. wne.edu
Collins AerospaceGeneral Dynamics Electric BoatPratt & Whitney (RTX)BAE SystemsNorthrop GrummanMedtronicModernaOtis ElevatorMassDOTSmith & WessonTighe & BondWhiting-TurnerMassMutualTravelersEversource EnergyCitizens BankSuffolk ConstructionBoston Red SoxKraft Sports + Entertainment
Men's basketball won its first NCAA tournament games and reached the Division III Sweet 16 for the first time in 2025 wne.edu
Wrestling has made 25 NCAA Division III championship appearances since 1977, the most of any WNE program wnegoldenbears.com
Football won three straight Commonwealth Coast Conference titles, 2017–2019 wnegoldenbears.com
Home venues: Golden Bear Stadium (football, field hockey, lacrosse) · Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center (basketball, volleyball, wrestling) · Suprenant Field (soccer) · Trelease Park (baseball) · Golden Bear Softball Park · Volvo Tennis Courts · Smead Arena, Springfield (men's ice hockey) · Olympia Ice Center, West Springfield (women's ice hockey)
Joseph Hartman installed as new president of Western New England University · WWLP-22NewsWestern New England University holds 2026 commencement · WWLP-22NewsWestern New England basketball teams head to NCAA tournament · Western Mass NewsWestern New England University hosts Emerging Engineer Expo · WWLP-22News
Western New England University: questions & answers
What is Western New England University known for?
Professional programs: law, business (AACSB-accredited), engineering, pharmacy and occupational therapy. It also has a broad arts and sciences college.
Does Western New England University have a law school?
Yes. Its School of Law offers the J.D. and an LL.M. in Elder Law and Estate Planning. WNE says it is the only law school in Massachusetts outside the Boston area.
How many students attend WNE?
3,674 students in Fall 2024 (NCES): 2,616 undergraduates and 1,058 graduate and professional students.
What division is Western New England in athletics?
NCAA Division III. The Golden Bears compete in the Conference of New England and field 23 varsity teams.
Who is the president of Western New England University?
Joseph C. Hartman, the university's seventh president, took office on June 1, 2026. He was previously provost at UMass Lowell.
When did Western New England College become a university?
On July 1, 2011, after the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved the change in name and status.
Where is the WNE campus?
At 1215 Wilbraham Road in Springfield, Massachusetts, on a 215-acre campus.
The self-guided Western New England University campus tour tells the story of each landmark as you reach it (0.7 mi · driving · ~17m · 4 stops). It's included with MassRoam+, alongside 82,000+ Massachusetts historic sites on one live map.
Massachusetts