Founded in 1866, the University of New Hampshire includes the College of Engineering and Physical Science, the College of Health and Human Services, a College of Liberal Arts and the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, as well as a graduate school, a law school and a business school. As of 2010, approximately 14,500 students were enrolled in the system, most of them from the New England area. Students' median SAT scores are 1,120. Keene State College, Granite State College and Plymouth State University are also part of this system.
New Hampshire's community college system includes four White Mountains Community Colleges located in diverse areas of the state: Woodsville, Littleton, Conway and Berlin. All are fully accredited and offer associate degree programs with the ability to transfer to a four-year college or university after graduation. The community college system also includes the River Valley Community College in Keene, the Lakes Region Community College in Claremont and the Nashua Community College in Nashua. Nashua College underwent a $3.6-million expansion in 1986 and offers aviation technology courses.
The most notable of New Hampshire's private colleges is Dartmouth. A member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth includes a medical school, the Thayer School of Engineering and the Tuck School of Business. It also offers 17 graduate and doctorate programs. Hesser College started as a business college in 1900 and now offers campuses in Concord, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth and Salem. Hesser offers a wide range of programs ranging from allied health and criminal justice to paralegal studies and education.
The Salter School of Nursing and Allied Health is a postsecondary school for those interested in health care careers. It offers both diploma and certificate courses approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing and the National Health Career Association. Scheduling of classes accommodates those who are going back to school while simultaneously holding down a job, with evening and weekend classes.