Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The school offers bachelor’s degrees in such areas of study as arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Antioch College promotes cooperative education programs where students alternate between on-campus study and off-campus work in the community. The school has a strong commitment to social justice. In addition to the college’s main campus, Antioch has Glen Helen, a 1,000-acre (405-hectare) nature preserve where environmental education programs are offered.
Antioch College was founded in 1852. Its first president was the American educator and abolitionist Horace Mann, who served from 1853 to 1859. Under Mann’s leadership, Antioch began in 1857 to admit women on an equal basis with men and to teach male and female students together in coeducational classes. Most colleges at that time were segregated by sex. In 1863, when African Americans were still denied many rights, Antioch began to admit applicants without regard to race.
In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Antioch College began to expand and created additional campuses in California, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Washington state. In 1978, the school changed its name to Antioch University. In the 2000’s, the historic college in Yellow Springs began to have financial difficulties. The board of trustees for Antioch University closed Antioch College in 2008. The closing was controversial. In 2009, Antioch University agreed to sell Antioch College’s campus and assets back to the college. Antioch College reopened in 2011.
The college’s website at https://antiochcollege.edu/ offers additional information.
