There are eight colleges and universities in Delaware. These institutions include two research universities, one master's university, one baccalaureate college, two associates colleges, and two special-focus institutions. Five of Delaware's post-secondary institutions are private and three are public.

Delaware's oldest post-secondary institution is the University of Delaware, which was chartered by the Delaware General Assembly as a degree-granting college in 1833.[note 1] The University of Delaware is also the state's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, with 25,903 students as of 2022.[3] The Delaware College of Art and Design is the state's smallest institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 111.[3] Wilmington University is Delaware's largest private post-secondary institution, with an enrollment of 19,295.[3]

Delaware has two land-grant universities: Delaware State University and the University of Delaware.[4] The University of Delaware is also the state's sole participant in the National Sea Grant College Program and the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.[5][6] In addition, Delaware State University is the one historically black college and university in the state, and is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.[7][8] Delaware previously had two private post-secondary institutions for men and women respectively: St. Mary's College and Wesleyan Female College respectively.[9][10]

The state does not have a medical school, but the Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research reserves spaces for Delaware students at two medical schools in Philadelphia.[11] Delaware has one law school, Widener University Delaware Law School.[12] All eight of Delaware's post-secondary institutions are institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.[13]

Extant institutions

Institution Location(s) Control Type[note 2] Enrollment
(2022)[note 3] 		Founded
Delaware College of Art and Design Wilmington Private Associate's college 111 1997[15]
Delaware State University Dover Public Master's university 5,770 1891[16]
Delaware Technical Community College Dover, Georgetown, Stanton, and Wilmington Public Associate's college 15,960 1967[17]
Goldey–Beacom College Pike Creek Valley Private Master's university 1,303 1886[18]
University of Delaware Newark Public Research university 25,903 1833[note 1]
Widener University Delaware Law School Wilmington Private Law school 515[19] 1975[20]
Wilmington University New Castle Private Research university 19,295 1968[21]

Defunct institutions

Institution Location(s) Control Founded Closed Notes
Brandywine Junior College Wilmington[22] Private[22] 1966[22] 1991[22] Entered into a merger with Widener University in 1976 and graduated its final class in 1991. Campus now serves as Widener University Delaware Law School.[22]
St. Mary's College Wilmington[9] Private[9] 1841[9] 1866[9] Catholic institution closed in 1866 following the American Civil War.[23]
Wesley College Dover[10] Private[10] 1873[10] 2021[10] Acquired by Delaware State University in 2021.[24]
Wesleyan Female College Wilmington[10] Private[10] 1837[10] 1885[10] Methodist institution for women. Following its closing, no college for women existed in Delaware until the Women's College of Delaware opened in 1914.[25]
Women's College of Delaware Newark[26] Public[26] 1914[26] 1945[26] Merged into the University of Delaware in 1945.[26]

See also

References

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ a b The University of Delaware is a successor institution to the "Free School," which was founded in 1743. The University of Delaware was chartered as Delaware College by the Delaware General Assembly as a degree-granting college in 1833.[1][2]
  2. ^ School location, control, and type are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.[14]
  3. ^ Enrollment is the total 12-month unduplicated headcount listed by IPEDS for 2021–2022.[3]

Citations

  1. ^ "UD History". University of Delaware. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  2. ^ "Delaware Public Archives: University of Delaware". Delaware Public Archives. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "College Navigator". United States Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  4. ^ "Map of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "Sea Grant Delaware: About Us". Sea Grant Delaware. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "Delaware Space Grant Consortium". Delaware Space Grant Consortium. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities". United States Department of Education. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  8. ^ "Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Member Schools". Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Patrick Reilly papers, 1828-1878 (MC 42)". Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Taggart, Robert J. (November 30, 2007). "Wesleyan Female College of Wilmington, Delaware: A College Before its Time?". American Educational History Journal. 35 (2): 221–232. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  11. ^ "Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research". Delaware Health Care Commission. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  12. ^ "Delaware's Law School". Widener University. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  13. ^ "Institution Directory". Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  14. ^ "Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: Institution Lookup". Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  15. ^ "Delaware College of Art and Design: Overview". Delaware College of Art and Design. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  16. ^ "About DSU". Delaware State University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  17. ^ "History". Delaware Technical Community College. June 3, 2011. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  18. ^ "College History". Goldey–Beacom College. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  19. ^ "Delaware Law School at Widener University". University of Delaware. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  20. ^ "Vision & History". Widener University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  21. ^ "Wilmington University at a Glance". Wilmington University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  22. ^ a b c d e Williams, Khalil. "Widener Archives Features Brandywine College". Widener Magazine. Widener University. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  23. ^ "Delaware". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  24. ^ Alamdari, Natalia. "Delaware State University signs agreement to acquire Wesley College". The News Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  25. ^ Taggart, Robert J. (November 30, 2007). "Wesleyan Female College of Wilmington, Delaware: A College Before its Time?". American Educational History Journal. 35 (2): 221–232. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  26. ^ a b c d e Manser, Ann (October 7, 2014). "Women's College centennial" (Press release). University of Delaware. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.

External links

State of Delaware
Colleges and universities in Delaware
Lists of American universities and colleges
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