Bryant & Stratton College history

The two men founded Bryant and Stratton National Business College, which grew to 40 locations altogether, including the campus in Providence, R.I., in 1863.

William Warner, who purchased the college from Mason in 1867 expanded the curriculum to include courses in the arts, humanities, and sciences including philosophy, history, languages, photography, sculpture, engineering, higher mathematics, hydraulics, and mechanics.

1949 - Bryant becomes a nonprofit, governed by a board of trustees.

1963 - Bryant holds its first Women's Symposium.

1969 - The new Master of Business Administration degree program is introduced.

1971 - Bryant moves from Providence, RI, to the $17.5 million campus in Smithfield, RI. Bryant now occupies 428 acres and 79 percent of Bryant undergraduates live on campus.

1973 - Bryant opens the Executive Development Center, which offers adult students classes and certificate programs that provide a practical education to excel in business.

2001 - Bryant launches The Campaign for Bryant, the institution's first comprehensive capital campaign.

2002 - The George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology is the highlight of the physical transformation of Bryant's campus.

2005 - The United States-China Institute opens on campus to enhance academic and business programs with Chinese academic institutions and foster trade between United States companies and China.

2006 - The Confucius Institute, the first China-funded institute in Southern New England dedicated to the promotion of Chinese language and culture, opens.

In 2008, through the generosity of the Class of 2008, the archway was refurbished and expanded brick walkways were installed.

In 2009, Bryant & Stratton was the first college to host an online graduation ceremony on Second Life.

2012 - Bryant enters into a joint venture agreement with the Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai.

2014 - The University launches the $75-million Expanding the World of Opportunity: The Campaign for Bryant’s Bold Future, the largest fundraising effort in the University’s history

2015 - The state-of-the-art Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Center opens

In 2018, Bryant and Stratton opened a school in Racine, Wisconsin, closed its downtown Milwaukee campus, and moved its Cleveland campus to Solon in Ohio.