Vanderbilt University’s announcement that it will open a full-time academic campus in San Francisco in 2027 comes as part of a broader strategic effort to expand its national presence, following the university’s launch of a new campus in New York City set to begin academic programming in fall 2026.
The San Francisco initiative, unveiled by Vanderbilt leadership and city officials, positions the prestigious Nashville-based research institution in one of the world’s foremost hubs of creativity, technology and entrepreneurship. The university plans to establish the campus on the existing site of the California College of the Arts (CCA) after the art school winds down operations in 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. The new campus is expected to support about 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, along with sustained faculty and staff presence.
Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier described San Francisco as “an extraordinary environment for learning at the intersection of innovation, creativity and technology,” noting that a presence in the city would expand opportunities for Vanderbilt’s community to engage with “the world’s most innovative cities.”
Mayor Daniel Lurie of San Francisco welcomed the decision, calling Vanderbilt’s investment “a powerful testament to the fact that San Francisco is on the rise” and highlighting the city’s ongoing efforts to build a vibrant core where people can “live, work, play and learn.”
The San Francisco campus is envisioned to bring Vanderbilt’s hallmark interdisciplinary education to the West Coast by integrating engineering, entrepreneurship and design with the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Vanderbilt plans immersive, real-world learning experiences rooted in the dynamic urban environment. Academic programs are still in development and will require approval by appropriate accrediting bodies.
The deal with CCA includes plans to honor the art school’s century-long legacy. Vanderbilt intends to operate a California College of the Arts Institute at Vanderbilt, preserve archival materials, support exhibitions through the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts, and maintain alumni engagement. Officials say CCA students will be able to finish their studies through the 2026–27 academic year.
The San Francisco expansion follows Vanderbilt’s recent milestone in New York City. In November 2025, the New York Board of Regents unanimously approved Vanderbilt’s application to offer academic programming in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the university’s first campus outside Nashville.
That campus — spanning nearly a full city block and encompassing multiple buildings — is scheduled to open for students in fall 2026. It will offer an Undergraduate Semester Program and a Master of Science in Business and Technology, linking classroom instruction with internships, research and professional opportunities in one of the world’s most dynamic urban centers.
Chancellor Diermeier said at the New York announcement, “We are grateful to the New York Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department for their approval and deeply appreciate the support of elected officials and other partners who share our vision for what Vanderbilt can add to New York City.”
As Vanderbilt extends its reach from Chelsea to San Francisco, university leaders frame these expansions as a way to deepen experiential learning, strengthen connections with industries and cultural institutions, and build bridges between academic excellence and real-world engagement. Both campuses reflect a growing trend among research universities to establish footholds in major metropolitan regions as gateways to innovation and opportunity.
Details about timing, facilities and faculty involvement for the San Francisco campus will emerge as the university advances planning and secures necessary approvals.
