ys ius ▁de ▁Gonz aga . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁university ▁north ▁of ▁Man ila ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁students ▁( element ary , ▁high ▁school ▁and ▁college ▁combined ) ▁as ▁of ▁A . Y . ▁ 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁Commission ▁on ▁High er ▁Education ▁( CH ED ) ▁has ▁identified ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁university ' s ▁gradu ate ▁programs ▁as ▁either ▁Cent ers ▁of ▁Ex cell ence ▁or ▁Cent ers ▁of ▁Development . ▁SL U ▁currently ▁has ▁three ▁Cent ers ▁of ▁Ex cell ence ▁( CO Es ) ▁and ▁eight ▁Cent ers ▁of ▁Development ▁( CO D s ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Foundation ▁ ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁University ▁was ▁founded ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁by ▁Rev . ▁Fr . ▁Ser ap hin ▁De ves se , ▁C IC M ▁for ▁ 1 0 ▁local ▁boys ▁in ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁B agu io . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁his ▁re located ▁St . ▁Patrick ▁Church , ▁he ▁founded ▁a ▁one - room ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁B agu io ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁C athedral ▁Hill ▁for ▁ten ▁local ▁boys , ▁naming ▁it ▁the ▁Saint ▁Louis ▁School . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁eight ▁C IC M ▁mission aries ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁mand ated ▁by ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁to ▁Christian ize ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁Div ided ▁into ▁two ▁groups , ▁one ▁set ▁out ▁for ▁B agu io