Historic liberal arts college in Portland, Maine (1831–1996) affiliated with Universalism.
Westbrook College was established in 1831 as Westbrook Seminary by the Kennebec Association of Universalists on an 8-acre gift from Zachariah Stevens and Oliver Buckley. Originally offering four tracks of study (English, scientific, ladies' classical, and preparatory), the institution was co-educational and awarded unique "laureate" degrees to women. It became an all-female institution in 1925 and gradually transitioned to a junior college, dropping preparatory work by 1933. In 1973, following federal pressure against gender discrimination in education, Westbrook became co-educational again and later committed to four-year liberal arts education.
Westbrook College operated as a liberal arts institution, offering a broad curriculum across multiple disciplines. The college evolved from its seminary roots through various educational models, ultimately positioning itself as a comprehensive four-year liberal arts college before its closure.
Facing declining enrollment in the 1980s and 1990s, Westbrook College merged with the University of New England in 1996. The merger technically occurred under the Westbrook charter, making the new entity legally "Westbrook College" while adopting the name University of New England. The historic campus in Portland's Deering Center neighborhood now operates as the UNE Portland Campus.