The Genesis of American Universities: A Historical Overview

America's public universities have a rich history deeply intertwined with the nation's founding ideals and evolving commitment to accessible education. While institutions like Harvard and the College of William and Mary predate the United States, the concept of publicly funded universities emerged later, driven by Enlightenment principles and the vision of the Founding Fathers.

Early Roots and the Vision of Public Education

The history of public universities reveals their critical role in society. America’s public universities date back to the founding of the country. In the country’s early days, many Founding Fathers advocated for public schools and fought for public colleges. George Washington was a major proponent of public higher education. He encouraged Congress to create a “national university” to make education accessible to more students. After serving as president, Thomas Jefferson dedicated himself to the cause of public higher education. He designed and funded the campus at the University of Virginia, which opened in 1825.

The idea of publicly funded universities grew out of an Enlightenment-era commitment to the general good. And the Founding Fathers were key proponents of public higher education.

The Dawn of Public Universities

The oldest American public universities had their roots in the earliest years of the United States. In 1785, Georgia chartered the University of Georgia. In 1789, North Carolina followed suit with its state university system. And South Carolina established a public college system in 1801. Janes was also the only student for two weeks until around 20 classmates joined him at the University of North Carolina.

At the time, America had a fair share of private colleges. Harvard and the College of William and Mary date back to the 17th century - though William and Mary became a publicly funded institution in 1906.

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The Purpose of Public Universities

The newly founded public universities would serve a public good - creating an educated citizenry. They enrolled around 2,000 students total and employed under 100 faculty. Additionally, most private colleges had religious roots. Public universities promised a secular education.

The Rise of Public Universities and the Morrill Act

In the mid-1800s, public universities still made up a small fraction of educational institutions. But that was about to change. The 1862 Morrill Act would rework public higher education by encouraging states to create their own systems. The Morrill Act offered a huge carrot to states. The federal government would hand over land to states, which could sell the property to fund public universities. And only 29 were public colleges. Between 1860-1900, more than 80 new public universities began operating.

Expanding Access and Inclusivity

Private higher education still largely served elite families. Public universities would democratize higher education and make it accessible to more Americans. Yet many colleges barred women and people of color. The follow-up Morrill Act of 1890 banned race discrimination in public college admission. The act spurred many states to create public HBCUs. In spite of the founding mission that public universities would be open to all students, many primarily enrolled white, male students until the 20th century. Advocates pushed for laws to make higher education more diverse. Public universities benefitted from admitting students of all backgrounds.

Cornell University: A Case Study in Early American University Ideals

Educational historian Frederick Rudolph called Cornell University "the first American university," referring to its unique role as a coeducational, nonsectarian, land-grant institution with a broad curriculum and diverse student body. Cornell was also among the first American universities to admit women. The first female student enrolled in 1870, despite the absence of a dedicated women’s residence.

Up until the time of Cornell's founding, most prominent American colleges had ties to religious denominations. Cornell was founded as a non-sectarian school, but had to compete with church-sponsored institutions for gaining New York's land-grant status. The University Charter provides, "Persons of every religious denomination, or of no religious denomination, shall be equally eligible to all offices and appointments".

Public Universities in the Modern Era

Today, public colleges and universities educate around 75% of college students. Many of the top-ranked universities in the world are American public universities. The best public universities include UCLA, UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and UNC Chapel Hill.

Challenges Facing Public Universities

Public universities offer an outstanding return on investment - they typically cost a fraction of the price of private institutions for in-state residents. However, state funding for public institutions has dropped dramatically in the past few decades. There’s a major connection between declining state funding and rising tuition rates. In 2018, tuition dollars passed state appropriations as the primary revenue source for public institutions. As public funding drops, tuition rates have risen. As a result, public universities’ tuition rates have increased faster than private ones. While tuition rates grew 144% at private institutions from 2002-2022, out-of-state tuition at public universities grew 171%, and in-state tuition shot up 211%. Declining public investments in higher education and an increasing budgetary reliance on student tuition pose a major challenge for the future of public universities.

The Future of Public Universities

Public universities remain one of the most affordable routes to a college degree. Many of the best public universities are also world-class research universities. But what will the future look like for public universities? In the 19th century, many states invested substantially in public higher education. And that paid off - graduates from public universities contributed to economic growth and civic life. A bright future for public universities requires strong public investment. Otherwise, public universities will follow the path of private institutions, where some elite colleges have more students from the top 1% than the bottom 60%.

As John Adams wrote in 1785 - the same year Georgia became the first state to charter a public university - “The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expenses of it.” The future of public universities - and of society as a whole - depends on whether we still believe Adams’s sentiment.

The Debate Over "First" University

The question of which institution holds the title of "first university" in the United States is complex. Several institutions lay claim to the title, each with its own historical context and interpretation of what constitutes a university.

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Harvard University, founded in 1636, is often recognized as the oldest operating institution of higher learning in the United States. However, its early focus was primarily on collegiate instruction rather than the broader scope of a university.

The University of Pennsylvania claims to be the first university in America, drawing a distinction between a college and a university. According to Penn, a university encompasses multiple faculties under a single institutional umbrella, whereas a college specializes in a single academic field.

The College of William & Mary also stakes a claim, asserting that its 1693 charter designated it as a "studium generale," a term used for universities in the Middle Ages.

American University: A Groundbreaking Spirit

American University was founded by John Fletcher Hurst, a respected Methodist bishop who dreamed of creating a university that trained public servants for the future. Chartered by Congress in 1893, AU has always been defined by its groundbreaking spirit. Before women could vote, they attended American University. When Washington, DC was still segregated, 400 African Americans called American University home. George Washington had dreamed of a "national university" in the nation's capital.

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