

Courtesy of Antioch College
Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was founded in 1852 and opened in 1853, with educator Horace Mann as its first president. Its early commitment to admitting women and men on equal terms remains part of the college's institutional history.
Antioch became particularly associated with cooperative education, which it introduced in the 1920s. That approach combines academic study with periods of work or other practical experience. The college suspended operations in 2008 amid financial difficulties and reopened in 2011 as an institution separate from Antioch University. That distinction matters when comparing programs, accreditation, admissions policies, and student outcomes: Antioch College and Antioch University are not interchangeable.
Antioch College is an undergraduate liberal arts institution rather than a university organized around numerous professional schools. Its academic offerings span the humanities, social sciences, arts, and sciences, with cooperative education integrated into the undergraduate experience.
Fields represented in institutional program reporting include biology, environmental and sustainability studies, literature, philosophy, psychology, political science, visual arts, and history. The precise majors, concentrations, and course rotations available to an entering student can change, particularly at a small college. Applicants with a specific academic goal should compare the current catalog's degree requirements with the courses scheduled during the years they expect to attend. Cooperative work terms and any required culminating project also belong in that planning.
Antioch College is in Yellow Springs, a village in southwest Ohio. Its setting is small-community rather than urban: students can reach parts of the village from campus, but travel to larger employment centers and transportation hubs generally requires planning.
Dayton is the nearest major metropolitan area, and Dayton International Airport is a regional air-travel option. A car may be useful for some off-campus placements or errands, although first-year students are permitted to register or park one on campus. Applicants considering cooperative work terms should ask how transportation needs vary by placement; living near the college and working elsewhere are different logistical questions.
Antioch College's stated educational purpose centers on liberal arts learning, cooperative education, and the application of ideas to social and environmental problems. Its historical motto, "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity," expresses an institutional emphasis on public purpose; it is a statement of values, not a measure of graduates' outcomes.
In practice, the educational model asks students to connect classroom study with work experience and reflection. A prospective student should consider whether that structure suits their learning preferences: it places more weight on planning placements and explaining what was learned from them than a classroom-only schedule would. Antioch College is a secular institution; its historical commitments should not be confused with a religious affiliation.
Name of the institution
Antioch CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Rural: FringeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
QuartersFoundation year
1850Antioch College is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.