History

About Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac has enjoyed a distinguished history of educating students with a talented and dedicated faculty and a commitment to excellence. From our New Haven origins as the Connecticut College of Commerce in 1929, and later, the Junior College of Commerce, the university has become a nationally recognized institution with 140 academic programs, 3 campuses and a diverse learning community, including 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

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A Legacy of Growth

+355% Growth

The total student enrollment grew from 2,200 to 10,000 from 1987 to 2020, a 355% increase in student population.

+483% Expansion

Quinnipiac grew from 1 campus with 120 acres to 3 campuses totaling 700 acres, marking an increase of 483%.

+213% Increase

With the addition of new majors and programs, Quinnipiac’s faculty grew from 130 to 408 full-time faculty.

New look, same commitment to our students

Our picturesque outdoor spaces are far more than just places to relax and take beautiful Instagram photos. They are places where you'll gather with friends for cookouts, play a game of pick-up Frisbee or simply study with the beauty of New England as your backdrop.

Then

1977

For decades our library has stood tall as a beacon of scholarly learning and a symbol of the heights to which a Quinnipiac education could propel you.

Dozens of students walk across the Quinnipiac quad in the autumn

And Now

2020

As state-of-the-art facilities have risen around the Arnold Bernhard Library, one fundamental aspect of Quinnipiac has remained the same — unwavering dedication to student success.

See Quinnipiac Come to Life

Our unprecedented growth, nearly 100 years in the making, is captured in “The History of Quinnipiac University” documentary series. We are delighted to share the ambition of our past — and the promise of our future — in a story that began with the shared dream of our founders, Samuel and Irmagarde Tator, in a single building with 11 students.

Ground-breaking of the Mount Carmel Campus — This episode chronicles how a modest, but hopeful, business school outgrows its space — and its original curriculum — and moves up the road from New Haven to Hamden.

Students cross the Mount Carmel Campus — The second episode of the history series depicts how Quinnipiac College boldly evolved into Quinnipiac University, laying the foundation for future success as we approach our centennial. Learn how President John L. Lahey, the steward of this vision, spent 31 years transforming Quinnipiac from a small, local college into one of the most compelling stories in higher education.