By act of assembly on April 8, 1862, the Pennsylvania legislature incorporated the school as a university under the name of Chester County Military Academy.

Sousa had been presented with an honorary doctor of music degree by the college in 1920, and he was impressed by the cadet cavalry horsemen.

It was modeled after the late 19th-century English country manor style and is unique for its hand-made brick construction.

The following table details the various names Widener has held over the years as well as any significant organizational changes that occurred during each period.

Widener's academic offerings include over 50 undergraduate majors, 40 minors, and more than 30 graduate programs of study.

[4] In 1979, Widener University leased and restored the Deshong Art Museum located on Edgemont Avenue in Chester.

[17][18] The PMC Museum highlights the legacy of the Pennsylvania Military Academy of Cadets with exhibits of sabres, uniforms, scrapbooks, newspapers, and yearbooks.

The 2025 Best Colleges list from U.S. News & World Report ranked Widener as tied for 266th among 434 national universities, with a score of 43 out of 100.

[26] Its greatest success has been winning the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1977 and 1981 under long-time coach Bill Manlove and reaching the semi-finals in 1979, 1980, and 2000.

Widener also reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2012 before losing to eventual NCAA D-III National Champion, Mount Union, by a lopsided 72–17 score.

[27] In 2014, the team again won the MAC championship and eventually lost in the NCAA Division III tournament in the "Elite Eight" to Linfield by a score of 45–7.

The men's basketball team has won 15 MAC titles and appeared in the NCAA Division III Tournament 17 times, advancing to the "Sweet 16" in 1987 and 2006, the "Final 4" in 1985, and the championship game in 1978.

It houses a newly renovated 25-yard (23 m) by 25 meter 10-lane competition swimming pool, squash/racquetball courts, and administrative offices for the athletic department.

Schwartz is also home to the new Wellness Center, opened in April 2006 to provide the faculty, staff, and students with additional recreational and fitness opportunities.

In addition to exercise equipment, the Wellness Center provides fitness classes and a 24-foot (7.3 m) rock climbing wall.

Opening in 1994, Leslie C. Quick Jr. Stadium seats over 4,000 people and has a turf playing field surrounded by an 8-lane track.

The arena includes 26 top-of-the-line gaming PCs and serves as both a practice and competition space for the athletes.

WDNR is the student-run campus radio station that plays a variety of music including hip-hop, rock, metal, and punk.

These include: In 2006, the university established a new charter school near the Chester campus to serve local residents from kindergarten to grade 5.

The project, named University Crossings, included the addition of a hotel, bookstore, coffee shop, restaurant, and apartments.

[36] In 2017, Widener University purchased the Taylor Memorial Arboretum in Nether Providence Township about 1 mile north of the Chester campus.

The university purchased the site from BNY Mellon bank and plans to use the nature reserve for research and hands-on learning opportunities for citizen science projects.