Carthage Co Revenue and Competitors

Founded by Lutheran pioneers in education in 1847, Carthage College was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly as The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West. The name was soon shortened to Hillsboro College. In 1852, the College moved to Springfield, Illinois, and assumed the new name of Illinois State University. In March of 1870, the irrepressible spirit of the College was reborn in Carthage, Illinois. At this location, the College took the name it still carries today. By 1916, the College gained accreditation from the North Central Association and recorded an enrollment of more than 250 students. However, the Great Depression and both World Wars lowered enrollment to 131 in 1943. Despite a period of post-war prosperity, enrollment declined because of the remote location of Carthage, Illinois. In 1953, the board of trustees agreed to consider relocating the College, and by 1962, Carthage found its new home on the shore of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The next decade brought a period of continuous expansion. Enrollment increased fivefold, 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 2,500 students. Total enrollment is 3,400 students. A challenging academic program, personal care and attention, and an abiding respect for human and religious values ... these remain the foundations of Carthage College.