Washington College

What is the history of Washington College?

Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland, founded in 1782. Chartered shortly after American independence, it grew from the earlier Kent County Free School and is often described as the first college chartered in the newly independent United States.

George Washington lent his name and support to the institution and served on its Board of Visitors and Governors. Its present-day identity still reflects that history: students encounter American history through both the college's academic programs and the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. Washington College is a separate institution from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and the University of Washington in Seattle.

What are the faculties and departments at Washington College?

Washington College organizes its undergraduate teaching around liberal arts and sciences rather than a large collection of professional schools. Students can pursue bachelor's-level study across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and arts, with room to combine a major with another field.

Representative subjects include English, history, political science, economics, psychology, biology, chemistry, environmental studies, computer science, business, music, and theatre. Academic opportunities also extend beyond departments: the Center for Environment & Society, the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, and the Rose O'Neill Literary House support work connected to environmental issues, history, and writing. Students interested in a particular major should check its current catalog requirements, including prerequisites and any senior project or capstone, before planning transfer credits or study abroad.

The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 9 to 1. That describes the institution overall, not the enrollment limit for every class or a promise of one-to-one instruction.

What is the location of Washington College?

Washington College is in Chestertown, a small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore near the Chester River. Its setting differs from that of a city campus: downtown businesses and community activities are nearby, while many larger-city amenities require travel.

For students comparing campuses, transportation is a practical consideration. A car may make regional trips and off-campus commitments easier, and first-year students are permitted to register or park one on campus. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is a major airport option, but travelers should plan for ground transportation between the airport and Chestertown. Prospective commuters should assess their actual travel route rather than assuming that proximity to the town center makes the college accessible by public transit.

What is the mission and vision of Washington College?

Washington College presents its educational mission in terms of liberal learning, intellectual inquiry, and preparing students for purposeful participation in their communities. Its approach combines study across disciplines with opportunities to put classroom work into practice.

Students can see those priorities in the college's emphasis on writing, research, environmental work, and study of the American experience. These are statements of educational purpose, not evidence that every student will have the same experience or outcome. Washington College is a private institution and should not be confused with a religiously affiliated college merely because of its historic name.