A Tale of Two Private Catholic Philadelphia Universities: Longitudinal Market Position Differentiation

This article is a longitudinal comparative case study exploring the market position of Saint Joseph’s University and Villanova University—two private Catholic institutions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At one time, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova shared a number of similar characteristics in student demand, faculty characteristics, student outcomes, and financial resources. However, by 2018–19, the similarities in the characteristics of the institutions had changed. This study works to understand the longitudinal market position changes at each institution. The research methodology involved a quantitative approach. The analysis revealed how the market positions at Saint Joseph’s and Villanova changed, over time.