About

Anna Julia Cooper

Welcome to Cooper College
Where Classical Christian Learning Awakens the Soul

Cooper College is an independent higher education program offering students of all ages the opportunity to engage in deep, Christ-centered study rooted in the classical tradition. Our curriculum invites students into an academic journey through the Bible, Classical Literature, the Great Books, and writings by diverse authors who are in dialogue with these enduring texts.

This program is designed for asynchronous learning, allowing students to study at their own pace while engaging in meaningful reading, essay writing, and reflection. Students also participate in two in-person gatherings each year—one in late summer and one in December—for discussion, fellowship, and academic enrichment. A new cohort begins every January.

Program Tracks and Tuition

Cooper College currently offers the following academic tracks:

  • Certificate in Classical Christian Studies
  • Associate of Arts in Classical Christian Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts in Classical Christian Studies

As we are currently piloting the program, tuition is completely free for all enrolled students.

Our Legacy: Anna Julia Cooper

Cooper College is named in honor of Anna Julia Cooper, a pioneering Black classical Christian educator whose legacy inspires our mission. After emancipation, Cooper devoted her life to leading schools that provided formerly enslaved African Americans with a robust classical Christian education rooted in the Gospel. Her work culminated in becoming the president of Frelinghuysen University, a college committed to Biblical and classical learning for adult students who had been excluded from traditional K–12 education.

Many of Cooper’s students—young and old—went on to become Christian leaders who shaped American society. In her spirit, Cooper College exists to continue this powerful vision: to study and live out God’s Word, to engage with the great ideas that shape civilization, and to develop Christian men and women who will transform the world for Jesus Christ.