The oldest college in every state

• The oldest colleges in each US state are among the most prestigious academic institutions.
• The oldest college in the United States is Harvard University, founded in 1636.
• Meanwhile, the most recent state to get a college for the first time is Alaska.

NORTH CAROLINA: Salem College in Winston-Salem

Salem College was founded as a girls’ school in 1772, four years before the United States declared its independence from Great Britain. It became known as the Salem Female Academy in the mid-19th century and awarded its first bachelor’s degrees in 1890.

It remains the oldest educational institution for girls and women in America, according to the college’s website.

NORTH DAKOTA: The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks

The University of North Dakota was founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota became recognized as a state. The very first graduating class was coeducational and consisted of six women and two men.

Of them, Dr. Cora Smith King became the first woman to receive a medical license in the state of North Dakota, according to the university’s website.

OHIO: Ohio University in Athens

Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, was founded in 1804 after the Ohio legislature approved a new act authorizing its establishment. Ohio University first offered classes in 1809, when the institution operated more similarly to a high school than a college.

In 1822, after Ohio University hired a team of more highly skilled faculty members, the school began to offer a traditional college program.

OKLAHOMA: University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond

The University of Central Oklahoma was founded in 1890.

In November 1891, the very first class of 23 students met in the Epworth League Room inside the unfurnished First Methodist Church, according to the school’s website.

OREGON: Willamette University in Salem

Willamette University was established in 1842 as a missionary school.

The university is one of the oldest coeducational colleges in the United States — the very first graduate of the university was a woman, and women were attending the School of Medicine as early as 1877, according to the Willamette University website.

PENNSYLVANIA: The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia dates back to 1740, when it was established as a charity school that would also house a place of worship for local people in Pennsylvania.

It was the first American institution of higher learning to officially bear the name “university,” according to the school.

RHODE ISLAND: Brown University in Providence

Brown University was founded in 1764 as the third college in New England and the seventh in America.

Originally located in Warren, Rhode Island, it was the first Ivy League school to accept students from all religious affiliations.

SOUTH CAROLINA: College of Charleston in Charleston

The College of Charleston was founded in 1770 and officially chartered in 1785. The city of Charleston took control of the college in 1836, making it the first municipal college in the nation.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Augustana University in Sioux Falls

Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, traces its origins to Hillsboro Academy, a school founded in Hillsboro, Illinois, in 1835.

The institution officially became Augustana in 1860, when its first class was held on September 1. It moved to Canton in Dakota Territory in 1884 and eventually to Sioux Falls in 1918.

The University of South Dakota, the oldest public university in the state, was founded in 1862, but Augustana’s roots stretch back further.

TENNESSEE: Tusculum University in Tusculum

The school was chartered in 1794 as Greeneville College.

In 1844, the renamed Tusculum Academy officially adopted the name Tusculum College, and in 2018, it became Tusculum University.

TEXAS: Southwestern University in Georgetown

Southwestern University in Georgetown traces its roots to four predecessor institutions, the earliest of which was chartered in 1840, five years after Colonel William B. Travis wrote a letter to the New York Christian Advocate requesting that a Methodist presence be established in Texas, according to the school’s website.

The four institutions merged to form the current university in 1873.

It claims to have been the site of many firsts, including the first homecoming on record and the first student literary journal in the state.

UTAH: The University of Utah in Salt Lake City

Originally named the University of Deseret, the University of Utah in Salt Lake City was founded in 1850.

The first term began in November 1850, during which time only male students were admitted. At the start of the second term, both men and women were allowed to attend.

VERMONT: Vermont State University’s Castleton campus in Castleton

Vermont State University’s Castleton campus traces its origins to the Rutland County Grammar School, founded in 1787.

Castleton University, which sits on a historic 165-acre campus, became part of the newly created Vermont State University in 2023.

VIRGINIA: College of William & Mary in Williamsburg

The College of William & Mary is located in the historic colonial town of Williamsburg, Virginia, and dates back to 1693.

It is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the US and has a long list of esteemed and influential alumni.

American presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler all studied at William & Mary, as did 16 members of the Continental Congress and four signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

WASHINGTON: The University of Washington in Seattle

The University of Washington in Seattle, originally named the Territorial University of Washington, is the oldest in the state — it was founded in 1861.

In 1867, tuition at UW was just $30, according to the school.

WEST VIRGINIA: Bethany College in Bethany

Bethany College was founded in 1840, though the town of Bethany dates back to 1769.

By the time West Virginia was recognized as a US state in 1863, Bethany College was the only institution of higher learning in the state to offer collegiate degrees, according to the school.

WISCONSIN: Carroll University in Waukesha

Carroll University was chartered in 1846 by the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature, two years before Wisconsin became a state. The school was originally established as an academy in 1841 by settlers living in the Wisconsin Territory community of Prairieville.

When the college first opened, the enrollment consisted of five students and two faculty members, Eleazar Root and John W. Sterling, according to the university’s website.

WYOMING: The University of Wyoming in Laramie

The University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, was founded as a land-grant university in 1886. When the school first opened, there were five faculty members and 42 students, according to the university.

Editor’s note: This story was first published in October 2018 and most recently updated in August 2026.