Hillsdale College is an independent, co-educational, nonsectarian, post-secondary liberal arts institution located on the north side of the city of Hillsdale, Michigan in central southern Michigan. Its 200-acre campus contains several instructional and office buildings, residence halls, Greek houses, an athletic complex, a church, and an arboretum.
Hillsdale College was established in 1844 and was the first college in Michigan to grant degrees to women. The college has always accepted persons of all races, even prior to the American Civil War.
As of 2002, Hillsdale's student body is almost evenly divided on the basis of sex, with slightly more females enrolled. The college offers a variety of liberal arts majors, pre-professional programs, a teacher education program, and a journalism certificate program. Hillsdale's most popular major is history.
Hillsdale came under fire in the 1970s following the enactment of affirmative action legislation. Hillsdale refused compliance on the grounds that its own policies were superior and had historically been less discriminatory than those the federal government would impose. Hillsdale also contended that it was not required to comply because it was a private school not receiving federal aid. However, the federal government argued that although the school was not funded directly, some students were receiving federal aid. As a result of the court's decision, students at Hillsdale can no longer receive federal student aid, though they can still receive aid from the state of Michigan. Students continue to be funded through a variety of private-sector endeavors.
Hillsdale College often features prominent speakers at its seminars. These have included former President Ronald Reagan, activist Rev. Jesse Jackson, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, presidential candidate Ralph Nader, and Lawrence Reed of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The College publishes the phenomenally popular Imprimis, a speech digest to which 1.1 million people subscribe. Hillsdale College has traditionally been a bastion of conservative and libertarian thought.
In 2003, a Hillsdale graduate was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, joining another Hillsdale alumnus in the House.
