The University of Liberia is the oldest and largest university in Liberia. It was founded in 1862 as Liberia College by an art of legislature of Liberia, with strong ties to the United States, particularly to northern states and churches that supported the colonization efforts. The fundamental belief was that the "Republic of Liberia ought to have within itself the means of educating its citizens for all the duties of public and private." Against this background, Professor Simon Greenleaf, the Harvard College Law Professor, who drafted Liberia's Independence Constitution in 1847, led the effort to establish Liberia College.
In 1862, the first President of the Republic of Liberia, Honorable Joseph Jerkins Roberts, was inaugurated as the first President of Liberia College. Working with two professors, Rev. Alexander Cromwell and Professor Dr. Edward Wilmot Blyden, President Roberts opened the doors of Liberia College in February 1863 to seven students.
During its early formative years, financing for Liberia College was provided by the New York Colonization Society and the Trustees of Donation for Education in Liberia (TDEL), both were United States based organizations. The donations laid the cornerstone and financed the first building on January 25, 1858.
However, for most of the next 90 years, the college had to struggle to overcome numerous obstacles to maintain its existence and integrity. As the sovereignty of the Liberian State remained challenged, so was uncertainty about the survival of Liberia College. The college was forced to close its doors on at least three separate occasions during this period.
Over the years, the institution expanded its curriculum and facilities, and in 1951, it was restructured and renamed the University of Liberia, becoming the first university in Liberia, and one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa. It is a public institution funded mainly by the Government of Liberia.
During the Liberian Civil War (1989-2003), the university faced significant disruptions. Buildings were damaged, and many faculty and students were displaced. After the war, efforts were made to rebuild and reestablish the university as a center for higher education in Liberia.
Throughout its history, the University of Liberia has faced various challenges but has remained a symbol of education and intellectual development in Liberia. Notwithstanding, its political influence has remained significant to Liberian politics and society, producing many of the country's political and intellectual, as well as the next generation of leaders and professionals in the country.
In recent years, the University of Liberia has focused on rebuilding its infrastructure, improving academic programs, and enhancing its role in national development. It continues to be a crucial institution for higher education in Liberia, offering a range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Today, the University now has four campuses: Capitol Hill, Fendall, Medical School Fendall, and Starz-Sinji campus located in Sinji, Grand Cape Mount County.
The school is divided into six colleges, three graduate programs, and three professional schools. Colleges at the University of Liberia include the Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities, the College of Business and Public Administration, the College of General Studies, and the T. J. R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology. Additionally, there is the William V. S. Tubman Teachers College and the William R. Tolbert College of Agriculture and Forestry, both named after former presidents of the nation
Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, the only law school in Liberia, was added to the university in 1951. The A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine was opened in a partnership between Italy's A. M. Dogliotti Foundation and the government of Liberia. Students of the medical school are required to give one year of service in rural areas after graduation. The School of Pharmacy is the third professional school. At the same time, graduate programs include the Ibrahim B. Babangida Graduate Program in International Relations, the Graduate Program in Regional Science, and the Graduate Program in Education Administration.
In addition to the schools and departments of study, UL houses five institutes. These are the Institute for Research, Institute for Population Studies, Kofi A. Annan Center for Conflict Transformation, Center for Millennium Development Goals, and the Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute teaches the Chinese language and culture and it is also in cooperation with the Changsha University of Science and Technology.
The University of Liberia has had 15 Presidents. On January 10th, Dr. Layli Maparyan was inaugurated as the 16th President of the University.
UL is a member of the Association of African Universities.