Our Story

For the past 50 years, Unity has been preparing the next generation of environmental professionals and leaders with the knowledge and skills to successfully meet real-world challenges.

Our roots go back to 1965 when the Unity Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences was founded to serve a student body of 39 students which was supported by a small employee base. The founders, a group of local business people, were looking for ways to counter economic decline in the town of Unity, Maine. Shortly afterward, the Institute became Unity College and in 1969 we awarded our first baccalaureate degrees to a graduating class of 24 students.

In 2015, Unity proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary with a student body of 643 students. As of today, Unity has an annual unduplicated headcount of more than 7,500 full-time students, the largest in our history.

Some highlights underscoring our growth include:

Unity College was the first U.S. college to divest its portfolio of companies that produce fossil fuels. 

Unity had a breakthrough year in 2016 when we began offering 100% online Distance Education graduate programs. In 2018, we expanded this format to include undergraduate programs.

Another highlight was in 2017 when we adopted the Enterprise Model as the organizational structure which poises us to be more responsive to the rapidly changing needs of students and society.

In 2021, Unity moved its headquarters to Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine and established two instructional locations. The new location is located just 30 minutes outside of Portland and serves as the hub for administration, operations, and Unity’s Distance Education and Technical Institute for Environmental Professions.

Today, Unity Environmental University is a beacon for other universities looking to adapt for a changing era for all of higher education.