Jul 21, 2026 - Education

Nvidia CEO backs Vanderbilt's San Francisco campus

Adam Tamburin

Modern building with a black steel frame and wooden panels, large glass windows, under a clear blue sky. Foreground shows a fence and greenery; signage reads "California College". — A view of Vanderbilt University's forthcoming San Francisco campus. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt

The leader of the massive technology company Nvidia is donating $75 million to help establish the academic bedrock of Vanderbilt University's campus in San Francisco.

Why it matters: The financial backing from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and his wife will support the campus' flagship college, which will house programs covering the arts, architecture and design.

What they're saying: The new campus will "focus on engineering, entrepreneurship and design to educate artists, makers and designers whose work bridges creative expression and technological innovation," Vanderbilt said in a Tuesday announcement.

State of play: It has a capacity for about 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, along with full-time faculty and staff.

Students will be able to complete their studies in California without visiting Vanderbilt's main campus in Nashville.

The big picture: The West Coast outpost, located at the former location of the California College of the Arts, is part of Vanderbilt's broader expansion plans, which also include satellite campuses in Florida and New York.

What's next: Vanderbilt expects to begin offering courses in San Francisco next year, pending final approvals.

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Nvidia CEO backs Vanderbilt's San Francisco campus

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