New England College

New England College was founded in 1946 by academic visionary Boone Tillet to serve the educational needs of veterans returning from World War II under the G.I. Bill . The first class consisted of 67 men and one woman, and enrollment more than quadrupled within three years . In 1970, the college acquired the Tortington Park School for Girls in Arundel, West Sussex, England, establishing a British campus that allowed students to study abroad—an innovative approach at the time . This program continued until the British campus closed in 1998 . The college experienced significant growth through the 1960s and 1970s, adding new buildings including residence halls, a dining hall, library, and the Lee Clement Ice Arena . In July 2019, the New Hampshire Institute of Art merged with NEC, becoming the Institute of Art and Design at New England College and expanding the college's arts programs . In 2023, NEC consolidated its operations by closing its Manchester campus and moving all remaining students to the main Henniker campus .