The Founding of The York Academy & the Transition to the York Collegiate Institute

York Collegiate Institute was the first major institution for higher education in the city. Located in central York city, it received many students from the city and local areas for primary to high school education before it offered college classes. The primarily white, male institution slowly grew to include a sizable population of women and diverse cultures. The Institute was primarily based around a building referred to as the Tower in later years. It represented an older time in history, and after outgrowing the original building the school moved to a larger campus, which you can learn more about after you finish learning about the beginnings of today’s York College of Pennsylvania.