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Land-grant university

Land-grant universities (land-grant colleges) are American institutions which have been designated by a state legislature or Congress to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 -- funding by the grant of federally-controlled land to the states . The mission of these institutions, as set forth in the 1862 Act, is to teach agriculture, military tactics, and the mechanic arts[?] as well as classical studies[?] so that members of the working classes can obtain a liberal and practical education.

History of the Land-Grant Universities

The universities were initially known as land-grant colleges and a handful have retained this naming.

The University of the District of Columbia[?] received land-grant status and a US$ 7.24 million endowment, in lieeu of a land grant, in 1967. In a 1972 Special Education Amendment, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands each received US$ 3 million for land-grant purposes.

In 1994, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium also received land-grant status and 29 additional land-grant colleges were created under the Elementary and Secondary Educaton Reauthorization Act[?]. Most of these are 2-year technical schools, but three are 4-year institutions, and 1 offers a master's degree.

See also: National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges


Land-grant universities are governed in the United States and its territories by the following legislation:

Land Grant Institutions include:

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