Eastern Connecticut State University is Connecticut’s public liberal arts university. Serving 4,355 students in fall 2024, Eastern offers a vibrant, residential campus experience focused on academic excellence, hands-on learning, and community engagement. With 41 majors and 68 minors across the arts, sciences, and professional studies, Eastern prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing world and workforce.
At the heart of every student’s education is the Eastern Liberal Arts Core (ELAC)—a distinctive general education program that promotes integrative thinking and lifelong learning. ELAC includes:
Eastern also cultivates a set of Five University Learning Outcomes that define the skills and knowledge all students should develop:
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Communication – the ability to express oneself effectively in common college-level written forms and oral presentations.
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Creativity – the ability to formulate original ideas and concepts, apply novel solutions, and innovate across disciplinary boundaries.
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Critical Thinking – the ability to analyze complex issues, evaluate evidence, and construct reasoned conclusions.
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Ethical Reasoning – the ability to assess one’s own values, recognize ethical issues, and evaluate the consequences of decisions.
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Quantitative Literacy – the ability to reason and solve quantitative problems, evaluate data, and communicate findings.
Founded in 1889, Eastern has grown from a teacher training school into a nationally recognized liberal arts university known for inclusive excellence, small class sizes, and a strong sense of community.
