University of Bridgeport delete

Founded: 1927   Total Students: 5,100+

Overview

Founded in 1927, the University of Bridgeport is home to a diverse student body from over 45 states and 80 countries who are united by a shared commitment to career readiness, innovation, and a supportive, challenging learning environment. The innovative thinking that led to the founding of UB almost a century ago continues to guide us today as we connect to a wider world.

In the early twentieth century Bridgeport was one of only six U.S. cities of over 100,000 people with no institution of higher education. Local physics and mathematics teacher E. Everett Cortright believed that equal access to education was necessary for national success, stating, “Ability and leadership must be sought in all groups.” He and two friends, founder of the dental hygiene profession Alfred Fones and Raybestos President Sumner Simpson, decided to create a two-year junior college, the first one in New England.

On May 5, 1927, the state charter of the Junior College of Connecticut was signed to resounding local and regional acclaim. Dr. Fones bought a large brick building at 1001 Fairfield Avenue to use as the first college building. Aspiring men and women entered the new college to take general education classes, as well as specialties like Hungarian and aeronautics. Almost immediately President Cortright realized that the college needed to grow and began building dormitories. By 1935 he had absorbed New Haven’s Arnold College, and opened a School of Business. He purchased more property, including P.T. Barnum’s former estate near Seaside Park.

At the end of World War II, veterans flooded the school, taking advantage of the GI Bill. The new president, James Halsey, saw this as an opportunity to expand the successful junior college into a full university, and students agreed, signing petitions and writing to newspapers. In 1947, the University of Bridgeport was created on its campus by Seaside Park. New majors and schools were added, all contributing to the diversity of ideas and opportunities that have distinguished the university ever since. The innovative thinking that led to the founding of UB almost a century ago continues to guide us today as we connect to a wider world.?

Programs Offered in University of Bridgeport delete

  • 4-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree

    • Highlights

    • Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs - National Universities
    • Most Ethnically Diverse National University
    • 119th Best National University for Top Performers on Social Mobility
    • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Diversity Recognition Program
    • Ranked #42 in PayScale’s annual College Salary Report for 2-year degree programs
    • CT University in the Doctoral/Professional STEM-Focused category - Carnegie Classification
    • 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
    • 2018 ADT  Safest Campus in Connecticut

    Campus Detail

    Main Campus Address

    126 Park Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604, United States

    Outreach, A Student Referral Program by Canam

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