St. Joseph's University keeps growing with new merger

St. Joseph's University has completed another big merger.

What's happening: The Northwest Philly Jesuit university has agreed to merge with the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, a small, private four-year college in Lancaster.

• The merger will bring more than 20 new health programs to St. Joe's, including a nursing program.

Why it matters: St. Joe's expansion brings more opportunities to grow the region's renowned higher ed and medical industries.

Flashback: St. Joe's, founded in 1851, completed its merger with Philly's University of the Sciences last year. The move brought a slew of health care-related programs to St. Joe's for the first time.

Details: St. Joe's will absorb nearly 2,000 students, starting in 2024. The university declined to share the cost of the merger.

What they're saying: Penn Medicine will reserve clinical placements in the region for future St. Joe's nursing students, St. Joe’s and Pennsylvania College said in a released statement.

• That's because Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, which is part of Penn Medicine, founded Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences more than a century ago and maintains strong ties.

What's ahead: The merger is expected to take a year.