ABOUT SBU

We believe education should be a transformational experience, one enriched by the tools to love more humanely, deeply and well in the world.



Bell tower 2

Welcome

Our Mission

St. Bonaventure is a Catholic university dedicated to educational excellence as informed by our Franciscan and liberal arts traditions. In the words of our patron, we believe that there should be “no knowledge without love,” and thus seek to transform the lives of our students, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship.

St. Bonaventure embraces students, faculty and staff of all faiths and cultures and strives to bring out the best in every individual through meaningful relationships. As an academic and spiritual community, we endeavor to prepare our students for the challenges they will face in their professional careers and personal lives.

Learn more at Mission & Values

St. Bonaventure University

University Information

As an academic and spiritual community, we endeavor to prepare our students for the challenges they will face in their professional careers and personal lives.

University Information
Accreditations & Rankings

St. Bonaventure is recognized for academic excellence by distinctive accrediting organizations and is consistently rated as a top university in the Northeast.

Accreditations & Rankings
Directories & Administration

We are a community. Our faculty and staff dedicate themselves to making connections - among themselves, their courses and, most importantly, our students.

Directories & Administration
Career Opportunities

Exciting career opportunities are available at St. Bonaventure. Contact our Human Resources staff today.

Career Opportunities
History

Founded in 1858 to promote Catholic-Franciscan education, we continue to pursue academic excellence through personalized attention that reflects the Franciscan tradition of valuing human relationships.

History
Community Programs

We are an integral part of the Olean and Allegany communities and we take great pride in sharing our facilities and expertise with our neighbors.

Community Programs
Map & Directions

The St. Bonaventure University campus is spread over 500 acres in a valley surrounded by the Allegheny foothills of southwestern New York state, a region known as the Southern Tier.

Maps & Directions
University Strategic Plan

SBU’s five-year strategic plan (2021-2026) boldly commits to our Franciscan mission and heritage, continued innovation and a new culture of strategic thinking.

Strategic Plan
News & Events
Chris LaPlaca, ’79, to serve as 2025 Lenna Professor at SBU, JCC Mar 18, 2025 | Chris LaPlaca, who spent more years than anyone behind the scenes at ESPN, will talk about the network’s rise from “scrappy startup to global icon” at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at St. Bonaventure University’s Doyle Conference Center.
St. Bonaventure to host ‘An Evening with Carson Waterman’ April 2 Mar 17, 2025 | Carson Waterman, a distinguished artist and revered cultural figure for the Haudenosaunee people of the Seneca Nation, will discuss his life and artwork in a special presentation at St. Bonaventure University in April.
SBU's Mackowski has busy month as presenter on the Civil War Mar 14, 2025 | Dr. Chris Mackowski, professor in the Jandoli School, spoke in Mobile, Alabama, earlier this month for the American Battlefield Trust, where he discussed the surrenders of the Confederacy in a program titled “From Appomattox to Citronelle and Beyond.”
Article by SBU's Belfield results from Franciscan Institute research Mar 14, 2025 | An article by Dr. Andrew Gertner Belfield, assistant professor of Theology and Franciscan Studies, was published in volume 82 of Franciscan Studies, a peer-reviewed journal of the Franciscan Institute at SBU.
SBU's Henry elected to executive board of counseling organization Mar 14, 2025 | Dr. Heidi L. Henry, assistant professor of Counselor Education, was elected to the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) Executive Board.
See All News
See All Events