Higher Ed Firsts
This was the first institution founded in the United States.
Harvard University (1636)
First introduced in 1972, this large federal financial aid program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students.
The Pell Grant
Temple University was founded in this year.
1884
As of Fall 2023, 39% of all undergraduate students attended this type of institution.
Community college
This was the first institution founded in Pennsylvania.
University of Pennsylvania (1740)
In 2023, a Supreme Court decision ended this longstanding practice in higher education admissions.
Race-conscious affirmative action
Temple University was founded by this person.
Russell Conwell
As of 2025, 21.8% percent of U.S. adults hold this type of degree.
Bachelor's degree
This was the first historically Black institution founded in the U.S.
Cheyney University (1837)
President Teddy Roosevelt was an important figure in leading the regulation of this popular college activity.
Football
This is the name of Temple University's mascot.
Hooter the Owl (honorable mention: Stella the Owl)
This country sends the most students to the U.S., with students from this country comprising 27.4% of all international students.
China
This was the first institution to receive a charter from its state, thus declaring itself as the country's first public institution.
University of Georgia (1785)
This legislative act, first signed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, still governs U.S. higher education.
The Higher Education Act of 1965
Temple University is accredited by this organization.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
In 2021, the NCAA introduced this policy, which allows student-athletes to make money from their personal brand.
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
This was the first coeducational institution and the first racially integrated institution in the U.S.
Oberlin College, in Ohio
This legislative act was the first to provide financial aid directly to students.
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (a.k.a. the GI Bill)
Temple University was the first institution in the U.S. to award a PhD in this subject.
Africology and African American Studies Department
As of 2024, how many Title IV colleges and universities are in the U.S.? (Title IV institutions are eligible to participate in federal financial aid programs).
5,819