On the eve of the Civil War, there were 200. Now 3600 colleges and universities enroll 15 million students annually. Cooper Union is the first college to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or religion in its charter. The Morrill Act officially establishes land-grant colleges and universities. Johns Hopkins is chartered as the first research university in the United States, followed by Stanford in 1891 and the University of Chicago in 1892.
Most popular majors are psychology and business management.
Undergraduate enrollment doubles from pre-war levels. The Federal government becomes a major source of funding for students and for institutions themselves. At first, it only funds research at a small number of elite institutions. International arms and space races lead to a new emphasis on science and math education and research. President Johnson's Great Society program funds new construction and expansion at colleges and universities across the country.