Notre Dame de Namur University

Notre Dame de Namur University has been in Belmont since 1923 and in the Bay Area since 1851. It is the third-oldest college in California and was the first in the state authorized to grant a bachelor's degree to women. In recent years it has shrunk sharply. It ended traditional undergraduate admissions and athletics in 2020, sold its campus in 2025 and now serves mostly adult and graduate students. Many readers ask whether it still operates. It does. This page explains its current status, programs, costs and what remains of its public role.

Facts come from NDNU's own website, its press releases and Wikipedia, as read in early November 2026. Check the NDNU website for current details.

Location and getting there

The campus is at 1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont, CA 94002, on the hillside west of El Camino Real. From downtown Palo Alto it is about 12 miles by road, or 8 miles in a straight line. The drive takes 20 to 25 minutes outside rush hour by US 101 or El Camino Real to Ralston Avenue.

Caltrain's Belmont station is at the foot of Ralston Avenue, two fare zones from Palo Alto. The campus is a walk uphill from there. Our Caltrain guide covers fares. Our Belmont guide describes the town. Our Belmont food guide lists places to eat on Ralston Avenue and El Camino.

History

The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur founded the Academy of Notre Dame in 1851 on 10 acres in San Jose. The school was chartered in 1868 as the College of Notre Dame. In 1922 the sisters bought Ralston Hall, the country estate of banker William Chapman Ralston. The college opened in Belmont in 1923.

• 1953: the College of Notre Dame became a four-year college.
• 1955: evening classes began. Teaching credential programs followed in 1965.
• 1969: the college became coeducational. Three men graduated with the class of 1970.
• 1972: master's degrees were added.
• 2001: the college reorganized into schools and took the name Notre Dame de Namur University.
• 2013: it launched one of the first Ph.D. programs in art therapy in the country.
• March 2020: facing financial strain and falling enrollment, the board suspended new admissions, closed undergraduate programs and ended athletics. The Argonauts had competed in NCAA Division II.
• 2021: NDNU began operating mainly as a graduate school and reached an agreement for Stanford to buy the campus.

Status in 2026: the campus sale

Stanford withdrew from the purchase in May 2025. A few days later NDNU announced an agreement with UC Investments, the University of California's Office of the Chief Investment Officer. On September 29, 2025, NDNU announced the completed sale after final Vatican approval, which was needed because of the university's Catholic affiliation.

The NDNU announcement sets out the key terms:

• The sale covers 96.5 acres, including Water Dog Lake (often written Waterdog Lake) and its open space.
• The 50.5-acre preserve, with popular hiking trails and a stocked fishing lake, stays leased to the City of Belmont.
• NDNU can continue to operate on the Belmont campus for up to five years.
• The university plans a new campus location in San Mateo County.

UC Investments said it would plan for the future of the property. No public plan for the site had been announced by early November 2026. In July 2026 NDNU introduced Dr. Leamor Kahanov as its 20th president. The university is also marking its 175th anniversary.

Wikipedia reports that NDNU's accreditor, the WASC Senior College and University Commission, removed a 2022 warning in 2024 but issued a notice of concern over finances. NDNU describes itself as WSCUC-accredited.

Programs

NDNU calls itself a Catholic, nonprofit, coeducational institution serving adult learners. It is organized into three schools:

• School of Business and Management: an MBA with several focus areas and graduate certificates.
• School of Education: master's degrees and teaching credentials, including educational therapy and strategic leadership and social justice.
• School of Psychology: graduate psychology programs.

For students with some college credit, NDNU offers a B.A. in Psychology degree completion program and a B.S. in Business Administration degree completion program. Classes are offered online and in person.

The university's recent news posts give a sense of its direction: career-focused graduate study in business, education and psychology, aimed at working professionals. Its psychology faculty also publish regularly for general audiences on topics such as teenagers and social media. If you are weighing a nearby graduate program in psychology, compare NDNU with Palo Alto University, which teaches only psychology, counseling and social work.

Admission and tuition for 2026 to 2027

NDNU admits students year-round by program, with application deadlines posted on its site. Its 2026 to 2027 tuition page, effective summer 2026, lists these rates:

The application fee is $60 and the nonrefundable enrollment deposit is $100. Some education courses carry supervision or assessment fees of $220 to $250 each.

What is open to residents

Senior rate

Adults 65 and older pay a 50% rate on regularly scheduled NDNU courses. The discount does not apply to fees, workshops or events. For a wider range of adult classes, our adult education guide covers Palo Alto's options.

Water Dog Lake trails

The open space around Water Dog Lake, behind the campus, remains leased to the City of Belmont under the sale. Its trails are among the most used in town. Our hiking guide lists other trails on the Peninsula.

Ralston Hall

Ralston Hall is the campus landmark. William Ralston, founder of the Bank of California, expanded an earlier villa into an Italianate mansion finished in 1867, with a mirrored ballroom modeled on Versailles. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966. The mansion was rented for events until a 2011 assessment raised earthquake safety concerns. It has stood empty since. Wikipedia reports that the 2025 sale is expected to fund a full renovation. Until then, see it from outside.

Social justice programs

The Sister Dorothy Stang Center for Social Justice and Community Engagement, named for an alumna and Sister of Notre Dame de Namur killed in Brazil in 2005, works with students and community members on service and advocacy. Contact the university about current events.

Visits and information sessions

NDNU did not post a public tour schedule when we checked. Prospective students attend information sessions, listed with other events on the university's events page, or request information online. Because the campus is in transition, call ahead before visiting in person.

Parking

NDNU's fee schedule includes parking violation charges, so treat campus lots as permit areas. Check with the university about visitor parking before you arrive. For Water Dog Lake, use the public trail access points shown on the City of Belmont's trail maps rather than campus lots.

Frequently asked questions