<p>I've seen a lot of lists of the best Christian and the Best Catholic colleges, and none of them have included Villanova. Is this a reflection on the school's overall quality, or the result of it's almost overwhelming focus on undergraduates (hence, lack of high level research)? Also, how would you compare it to a school like Fordham, Georgetown and Notre Dame, esp. when it comes to science and engineering?</p>
<p>It's a great school with a very strong community. Possibly considered a notch down from Georgetown and Notre Dame, but not much. It would be a better fit for lots of kids. My H graduated from "nova with a civil engineering degree and has had a very successful career.</p>
<p>Nova is #1 in the Masters-(not sure if it is north or east) division of USNWR and has been for the last 7-8 years. The school has a great reputation. I agree with the above OP, overall just a notch below ND and Georgetown and BC, but the Business program at Villanova is ranked higher than Georgetown's and BC's. Nova has become one of those schools that has become difficult to gain admission as of late.</p>