 Cagayan de Oro, then "Cagayan de Misamis" with a population of around 50,000, was a principal port and fast-growing town.The school grew with the community and opened college courses in June 1938 and grades 5 to 7 in June 1940, accommodating students from Mindanao and Visayas.Ateneo de Cagayan moved to its present location on Corrales Avenue and grew into a college, offering courses in Liberal Arts, Education, and Commerce.