by
Imed Bouchrika, Phd
No doubt these U.S. colleges and universities are old. Even older than the country. A few of them were founded in the 17th century, while most were established a century hence. While Ivy League institutions are commonly regarded among the oldest (most established) universities in the country, there are several non-Ivy institutions that make it to the list of the oldest colleges in the U.S.
The general consensus is old universities enjoy a reputation of heritage and accomplishments. And it isn’t stretching one’s imagination. Many on our list do have their bragging points. In fact, Harvard University, which tops the list, needs no introduction. So do Yale, Princeton and Columbia.
In a way, this list of the oldest higher learning institutions in the U.S. is also a good reference for a wide range of reputable degrees. Be it a niche career on geography or the broad liberal arts career, whatever discipline you want to pursue is likely covered by these institutions.
That said, this article will take a closer look at the oldest colleges in the US, focusing not only on each one’s year of establishment but also on their location and historical background. Moreover, the discussion will include some of the notable graduates from each listed college. With this, students who have yet to select a college may get to know each institution better.
Global university rankings have paved the way for open competition between nations and the higher education institutions (HEIs) themselves, which serve as global actors in their own right (Marginson & van der Wende, 2007). Furthermore, the rising cost of higher education also promotes competition, as each institution is inclined to prove how their programs make for good investments for the future. Unfortunately, colleges and universities that are not able to keep up with the race have been closing. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of higher education institutions in the country dropped to its lowest in 2018 since 1998 (VOA Student Union, 2019).
Many people fall under the impression that college is no longer important nowadays. This is one of the reasons why schools compete for the attention of students who still believe in the power of higher education.
QS Top Universities
Designed byAttracting students and maintaining high-performance rankings are just two of the challenges that higher education institutions face. Not meeting stringent standards and enrollment goals may make it difficult for a school to stay in business. This goes to show that institutions that remain operational may have been doing things right.
With this in mind, it’s no longer surprising why many high school graduates are aiming to get into some of the oldest colleges in the US. The fact that these institutions endured centuries while others have closed down can already say enough about their reputation and quality of education. Learn more about their rich histories below.
Year founded: 1636
Founder: Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Harvard University is among the eight schools in the Ivy League, an American collegiate athletic conference comprised of elite colleges known for their academic excellence and selectivity in admissions. Originally called New College, the oldest university in the US got its current name from the first benefactor, John Harvard, who bequeathed his entire library and half of his estate to the school upon his death. Although the school was established under church sponsorship, it was never formally affiliated with any religious body. Over the next two centuries since its establishment, it was gradually liberated from both church and government control.
In 1865, the alumni first elected the governing board members. During his tenure as Harvard’s president from 1869 to 1909, Charles W. Eliot successfully established the university’s national influence (Brittanica, 2020).
Harvard College, Harvard’s undergraduate school, takes about a third of the institution’s total student body. The school’s core teaching staff is composed of the faculty of arts and sciences. Meanwhile, the institution’s professional schools, which have acquired world prestige unlike any other (Keller & Keller, 2001), consist of the schools of law, business, medicine, education, divinity, design, government, dental medicine, and public health.
Harvard’s age, as well as its quality, wealth, and overall prestige, can easily shield it from any conceivable challenges (Keller & Keller, 2001). After all, its alumni and faculty have long been closely associated with many aspects of American political and intellectual development.
Notable Graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #3 (Global), #1 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #7 (Global), #1 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $49,653
Year founded: 1701
Founder: Elihu Yale
Location: New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Another Ivy League school, Yale University is a private institution originally chartered by the colonial legislature of Connecticut in Killingworth and other locations and was named Collegiate School. It was moved to New Haven in 1716 and renamed as Yale College in honor of its wealthy benefactor, Elihu Yale.
Yale’s initial curriculum highlighted classical studies. The school was originally founded to train ministers in sacred languages and theology, but it eventually included humanities and sciences in its curriculum in 1777. Yale was the first university to award a PhD in the United States.
In a new reading of The Yale Report of 1828, it was ascertained that the classical curriculum had to be reinvented in the 19th century, and Yale was proud to be at the forefront of this endeavor (Pak, 2008).
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #17 (Global), #6 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #8 (Global), #3 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $55,500
Year founded: 1740
Founder: Benjamin Franklin
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Also an Ivy League school and commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn, the University of Pennsylvania is the first university to offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It was first called the Academy of Philadelphia before the College of Philadelphia was chartered in 1755. The name University of the State of Pennsylvania was adopted from 1751 until settling with the final name, University of Pennsylvania, in 1755. The University of Pennsylvania is also one of the first institutions to take a multidisciplinary approach to teaching and admit female students. It is also the first institution to have a medical school. UPenn became fully co-educational in 1974 when the College of Liberal Arts for Women was formally merged with the School of Arts and Sciences.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #16 (Global), #8 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #11 (Global), #4 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $57,770
Year founded: 1693
Founder: James Blair
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.
Named for the British co-monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II, the College of William and Mary was the first institution to introduce an honor code of conduct for students. It is also the oldest college in the American South.
As the second oldest college in the US, it has a remarkable staying power, primarily due to its ability to address societal changes. The most recent is its response to the demand for colleges to achieve comprehensive internationalization (Eddy, et.al., 2013).
Interestingly, even if Harvard University is the oldest college in the US, the College of William and Mary still uses a building that predates Harvard’s foundation. The College of William and Mary was also the first school to teach political economy (1784) and employ an elective system of study (1779).
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #651-700 (Global), #80 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #201-250 (Global), #79 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $17,434 (In-state), $40,089 (Out-of-state)
Year founded: 1696
Founder: The Episcopal Church
Location: Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Originally called King William’s School, it is Maryland’s first “free” school. This means that it was established to liberate students through education. It received its current name in 1784. It is composed of two campuses, one in Annapolis, Maryland and the other in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Although its name features a saint’s name, St John’s College has no religious affiliation. It is also known for its small class sizes, which allows its faculty to provide students with more personalized and focused attention.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): NA
THE Ranking (2020): NA
Average tuition fee (2020): $35,000
Year founded: 1743
Founder: Dr. Francis Alison
Location: Newark, Delaware, U.S.
The history of the University of Delaware when Francis Alison established a “Free School” in his New London, Pennsylvania home in 1743. During the early years, the school was operating under the support of the Philadelphia Synod of the Presbyterian Church. By 1765, the classes were held in Newark. Four years later, the Free School was chartered as the Academy of Newark. However, as Delaware was part of the Pennsylvania colony until 1776, the school was denied a charter to avoid competition with the University of Pennsylvania.
When Delaware was separated from Pennsylvania, the state moved to charter a college in 1833, the New Ark College. Its name was changed to Delaware College in 1843. Because of financial problems and the Civil War, it closed in 1859. It reopened in 1870. In 1941, the Women’s College started operating and by 1921, the University of Delaware was introduced to refer to both New Ark College and the Women’s College. Since then, the university has adopted a co-educational policy.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #541-550 (Global), #111-120 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #251-300 (Global), #148 (US..)
Average tuition fee (2020): $6,365 (In-state), $17,080 (Out-of-state)
Year founded: 1742
Founder: Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf
Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Moravian College was the first college to provide education to women and Native Americans in their native language. It was originally called Bethlehem Female Seminary and was the first boarding school for women in the US
The institution was first chartered to grant bachelor’s degrees in 1863. In 1913, its name was changed to Moravian Seminary and College for Women. It eventually became co-educational in 1954 when the two genders merged.
The school gained popularity after George Washington himself personally petitioned the school’s headmaster to admit two of his great-nieces.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): NA
THE Ranking (2020): #285 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $47,052
Year founded: 1746
Founder: New Light Presbyterians
Location: Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
An Ivy League institution, Princeton University’s history exemplifies the greatest paradox in American history: that liberty and slavery were closely intertwined. First called the College of New Jersey, the university’s campus became a battleground when George Washington fought the British forces in 1777 in the name of the country’s freedom. However, slavery was also a fundamental part of its academic landscape (Sandweiss, 2020). Ultimately, it was in the university’s Nassau Hall that Washington formally received the recognition and thanks of the Continental Congress for his success in the American Revolution.
The school adopted the name Princeton University in 1896. Its graduate school first opened in 1900. It began accepting female students in 1969.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #12 (Global), #9 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #6 (Global), #5 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $24,251
Year founded: 1754
Founder: George II of Great Britain
Location: New York City, New York, U.S.
Columbia College is the 10th of the oldest universities in the US. An Ivy League school, it was first chartered in 1754 as King’s College. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 after the U.S. gained its independence. It is also the oldest higher education institution in the state of New York. Its alumni include five of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
Columbia College was an undergraduate liberal arts school for men. In 1983, it started admitting female students. Aside from Columbia College, also under Columbia University are the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of General Studies) and the affiliated Barnard and Teachers colleges.
Columbia University administers the Pulitzer Prize. The university ranks well for its arts and humanities programs, as well as anatomy and physiology.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #19 (Global), #5 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #16 (Global), #15 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $71,460
Year founded: 1749
Founder: Scots-Irish Presbyterian
Location: Lexington, Virginia, U.S.
A private liberal arts university, the Washington and Lee University had its first major benefactor in the person of George Washington. He endowed the school with $20,000, which at the time was the biggest endowment to have been given to an educational institution in the country.
Just like other schools from its era, Washington and Lee also went through several name changes before settling in the current one. It was once called the “Liberty Hall” during the American Revolution. Ultimately, it got its name from its first benefactor and General Robert E. Lee, the university’s president from 1865 until he died in 1870.
Washington and Lee has a student-run honor system. It also allows students to take exams unsupervised and buildings are open 24 hours a day. However, those who will be found cheating, stealing, or lying will be expelled.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): NA
THE Ranking (2020): #70 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $56,170
Year founded: 1764
Founder: Brown Brothers (Moses, Nicholas, Joseph, and John)
Location: Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Next on the list is another Ivy League university. It was first chartered in 1764 as Rhode Island College and served as a Baptist institution for women in Warren, R.I. It was moved to Providence, R.I. in 1770. The school started using the name Brown University to honor its benefactor Nicholas Brown in 1804.
Francis Wayland, who served as the university’s president from 1827 to 1855, was responsible for broadening the curriculum by adding modern languages and expanding elective offerings. The university became fully co-educational in 1971 when it merged with Pembroke College, which was first known as the Women’s College Adjunct to Brown University.
Brown University now consists of the undergraduate, graduate, and medical schools. It has an unconventional requirement for students who are about to graduate, requiring them to develop their own multidisciplinary study program, which may be based on one of the university’s over 70 academic concentrations.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #60 (Global), #20 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #53 (Global), #7 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $29,627
Year founded: 1766
Founder: Ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey, US
Although known today as Rutgers College, the school used to be called Queen’s College. It takes the reputation of having the most diversified and extensive research facilities in New Jersey. Rutgers University is also known as the birthplace of college football.
The university struggled to survive and stopped operating several times in the 1800s after the American Revolution ended. It adopted the name Rutgers College in 1825 to honor the philanthropist, Colonel Henry Rutgers. Under the Morrill Act of 1862, it became the state’s land-grant college. Rutgers assumed university status in 1924.
Rutgers University has its main and biggest campus at New Brunswick and other smaller campuses at Camden and Newark. The main campus is home to the original Rutgers College, Douglas College, Cook College, and Livingston College. It also houses the colleges of pharmacy and engineering, as well as the graduate school for liberal arts, education, arts, and business. The Camden and Newark campuses each have several undergraduate and graduate departments.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #268 (Global), #41 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #251 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $6,115 to $7,369.50 (In-state), $14,506 to 17,743 (Out-of-state)
Year founded: 1769
Founder: Eleazar Wheelock
Location: Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.
As an Ivy League institution, Dartmouth College remains unique as it is the only one that still has the term “college” attached to its name. It is also the only institution in this list that didn’t previously come by any other name.
Dartmouth College was established by Eleazar Wheelock with the goal of training Native Americans to become Christian missionaries. The institution was named in honor of William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth, who served as president of the trustees that funded the school.
Despite being smaller than other Ivy League universities, Dartmouth is known for being a small yet innovative liberal arts college. It primarily focuses on undergraduate education and maintains small classes, to promote close student-teacher interactions. Dartmouth College is also commended for the quality of its professional schools.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): #203 (Global), #37 (U.S.)
THE Ranking (2020): #94 (Global), #12 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $57,796
Year founded: 1770
Founder: Lord Shaftesbury
Location: Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Established in 1770 and chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston is the oldest higher education institution in South Carolina. It was first called Charleston College.
The city of Charleston took governance of the college in 1836, making it the first municipal college in the US. Up until 1928, it only admitted male students. In 1968, the college also started admitting African Americans.
The College of Charleston was heavily damaged by the American Civil War. It also survived an earthquake in 1886 and a hurricane in 1989. In 1970, the college became affiliated with the South Carolina State College System.
The College of Charleston remained focused on undergraduate studies, while the University of Charleston, established in 1992, provided graduate programs.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): NA
THE Ranking (2020): #501-600 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $12,518 (In-state), $32,848 (Out-of-state)
Year founded: 1772
Founder: Moravians
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Salem College prides itself on being the oldest liberal arts education institution for women in the US. Its history can be traced back to April 1772 when the Moravians of Salem established a school for girls. Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein served as the first teacher in the school, which was initially called Little Girls’ School.
In 1802, it became a boarding school and its name was changed to Salem Female Academy in 1866. The school started awarding college diplomas in 1890. In 1907, the school adopted the name Salem Academy and College.
Though officially classified as a women’s college, the institution accepts men 23 years old and above into its continuing education and graduate programs. Salem College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Notable graduates
QS Ranking (2020): NA
THE Ranking (2020): #501-600 (U.S.)
Average tuition fee (2020): $31,016
All of these universities were established long before the U.S. was given its freedom in 1776. As such, these institutions were witnesses to how the country was shaped into the United States that we know today. They have withstood closures, mergers and takeovers that have had swept the higher learning sector over the centuries. These colleges also educated a lot of professionals and scholars who eventually made a difference in their respective fields. Anyone who can study in any of these schools can consider themselves privileged, as they can enjoy the chance of getting topnotch education that can help set them up for the future.
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by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
