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Founded in 1847, Carthage College is a four-year, private college of the liberal arts and sciences in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Carthage combines an environment of reflection and self-discovery with a culture of high expectations, so our students uncover and ignite their true potential. That is the Carthage mission. It is not a stodgy old saying recited at alumni banquets and presidential dinners. It is a challenge. One that we put forth anew every single day. To our students. To our faculty and staff. To make this world a better place for all of us. The Carthage curriculum emphasizes the interdisciplinary study and hands-on learning. Receive individual attention from professors at the top of their fields. Learn to tackle topics from new directions — and in new places. Solve problems by conducting your research. Transform into a lifelong learner. Carthage offers majors, minors, and concentrations in more than 50 areas of study, including biology, finance, nursing, international political economy, education, theatre, and neuroscience. We emphasize hands-on learning, undergraduate research, individual attention, and vibrant discussion in the classroom. Carthage places a significant emphasis on undergraduate research and scholarship. Early and often in their time at Carthage, students are challenged to perform original study under experienced faculty's close guidance. At Carthage, research is built into every student's experience. Research serves as the foundation for entire academic courses. All prospective graduates must also complete a senior thesis, which may take the form of a research project, an art exhibit, a music recital, a portfolio, a research paper, or another project that pertains to the student's area of study. Carthage students have a strong track record of obtaining positions in competitive research laboratories across the country as paid summer interns. These opportunities give them further hands-on experience with cutting-edge instruments and methods, and the chance to contribute to large-scale projects under the mentorship of research university faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. In recent years, numerous students have participated in programs such as those offered through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates, Medical College of Wisconsin's Summer Program for Undergraduate Research, and the Amgen Scholars. Carthage has institutional membership in the Council on Undergraduate Research, the preeminent national organization devoted to promoting high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. Carthage also partners with prestigious institutions including NASA, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (headquartered at Carthage), the University of Chicago Yerkes Observatory, and other significant observatories the Huairou Education Bureau in Beijing, China, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey the Stress and Motivated Behavior Institute at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and more. Carthage students regularly conduct microgravity research with NASA scientists. First-year students have the opportunity to perform innovative genomics experiments through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. At Carthage, we have seen 170 years of leaders, makers, and go-getters go out and go forth. We have changed our name — and even our location — since we were founded in 1847. However, the core of a Carthage education has stayed the same: Our liberal arts foundation provides students with a strong academic, moral, and intellectual compass to become perceptive, resourceful, and grounded individuals. Carthage College was founded by Lutheran pioneers in education and chartered by the Illinois General Assembly on Jan.22, 1847. Back then, the College was located in Hillsboro, Ill., and was known as The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church in the Far West. The name was soon shortened to Hillsboro College. With a two-person faculty and 79 students, Hillsboro promised "a course of study designed to be thorough and practical, and to embrace all the branches of learning, usually pursued in the best academies and colleges." Hillsboro prospered in its first two years, thanks to support from Lutheran congregations. In 1852, the College relocated to the larger town of Springfield, Ill., and assumed the new name of Illinois State University. In 1870, the College moved again, this time to the rural, west-central city of Carthage, Ill., where the College acquired its current name. By 1916, the College gained accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and received the association's highest rating of "A" — one of only four colleges in Illinois to gain this honor. By 1927, enrollment in the College had reached nearly 300 students. The Great Depression and World War II lowered enrollment to 131 students in 1943. Ten years later, the Board of Trustees agreed to consider relocating Carthage once again. By 1962, Carthage had established its lakeshore campus in Kenosha, Wis., and the College launched an era of exciting growth. The next decade brought a period of continuous expansion. Enrollment increased fivefold, the endowment tripled, and physical assets increased 600 percent. In Fall 1995, Carthage enrolled 1,527 full-time students, setting a new record. Full-time enrollment now stands at a record level of 2,600 students. The total enrollment is 3,000 students. Intensive national searches have built a teaching-oriented faculty holding Ph.D.s from major graduate programs across the country. Since 1999, Carthage has invested more than $250 million in new construction, major renovations, and technological acquisition. View full university