Strayer University

General information

Strayer’s history stretches back 125 years to 1892, when our founder, Dr. S. Irving Strayer, opened the doors of Strayer’s Business College in Baltimore, Maryland. His concept was in response to what he saw as a rapid expansion of the business world, along with new technologies that would lead to increasing demand for well-trained, professional employees.

Throughout the course of our history, Strayer has always focused on preparing adult students to succeed in the workforce.

• In 1913, as the passage of federal income tax laws led to growth in the field of accounting, Strayer established the College of Accountancy to graduate qualified professionals to work in the accounting field.

• In the mid-century, Strayer began to incorporate its accounting curriculum with various courses of study offered by the business college and was licensed to grant the Bachelor of Science degree in 1969.

• In the '90s, as Internet’s popularity proliferated, Strayer launched a groundbreaking online learning program, making it among the first accredited higher learning institutions to offer courses via the Internet. The online program made higher education accessible to a broader spectrum of students and continues to break boundaries today.

• More recently, Strayer has led efforts to reach new populations of adult students, acquiring the Jack Welch Management Institute, an online program offering a differentiated executive MBA, in 2012; and building partnerships with major employers to offer discounted or a no-cost degree to employees.

Through all its efforts, Strayer University seeks to develop a more competitive and qualified workforce by solving higher education’s most challenging problems, including college affordability, closing the skills gap, and improving student learning outcomes.