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Oldest public university in the United States

 

 
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Oldest public university in the United States
 
 
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The title of oldest public university in the United States is claimed by four universities: the University of Georgia
University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public university research university located in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning....
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public university research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States....
, The College of William & Mary, and the College of Charleston
College of Charleston

The College of Charleston is a public university, sea-grant, and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina....
.

ted in Athens
Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a Consolidated city-county in Georgia , United States, in the northeastern part of the state, at the intersection of U.S....
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, the University of Georgia received its charter from the state in 1785, making Georgia the first state to begin sponsorship of a university. UGA brands itself as the "birthplace of the American system of higher education." However, the university did not accept its first students until 1801.

state of North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
 chartered the University of North Carolina in 1789, four years after UGA, and construction on the campus began in 1793 near the center of the state.






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The title of oldest public university in the United States is claimed by four universities: the University of Georgia
University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public university research university located in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning....
, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public university research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States....
, The College of William & Mary, and the College of Charleston
College of Charleston

The College of Charleston is a public university, sea-grant, and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina....
.

University of Georgia

Located in Athens
Athens, Georgia

Athens-Clarke County is a Consolidated city-county in Georgia , United States, in the northeastern part of the state, at the intersection of U.S....
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, the University of Georgia received its charter from the state in 1785, making Georgia the first state to begin sponsorship of a university. UGA brands itself as the "birthplace of the American system of higher education." However, the university did not accept its first students until 1801.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The state of North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
 chartered the University of North Carolina in 1789, four years after UGA, and construction on the campus began in 1793 near the center of the state. The university was the first public university in the country to admit students when it opened in 1795 and was the only such institution to award degrees in the 18th century.

The College of William & Mary

Now a public university, The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 11,998....
, Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 was founded by royal charter
Royal Charter

A royal charter is a charter granted by a Monarch to create institutions or other forms of incorporated bodies . In the United Kingdom legal tradition a royal charter is in the form of letters patent....
 in 1693, making it one of the oldest colleges, public or private, in the United States. The college severed formal ties with England
Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
 after the colonies
Colonial America

The term colonial history of the United States refers to the history of the land that would become the United States from the start of European colonization of the Americas to the time of independence from Europe, and especially to the history of the thirteen colonies which declared themselves independent in 1776....
 declared independence
Declaration of independence

This article is about declarations of independence in general. Specific declarations of independence are listed below in alphabetical order. For the painting of this name, see Trumbull's Declaration of Independence....
, but remained private until financial troubles forced its closure after the Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. The Commonwealth reopened the institution as a public university in 1888, and it has operated as such ever since.

College of Charleston

Now a public university, the College of Charleston in South Carolina was founded as a municipal college in 1770 and was chartered in 1785. It remained a private school until 1836, when it became a municipal college. The school joined the South Carolina state university system in 1970.

See also


  • First university in the United States
    First university in the United States

    First university in the United States is a status asserted by more than one U.S. university. In the U.S. there is no official definition of what entitles an institution to be considered a university versus a college, and the common understanding of "university" has evolved over time....