Massachusetts's campuses and the stories they hold.
The Story
AIC opened in Lowell in 1885 as a college for French-Canadian newcomers, moved to Springfield in 1888, and still builds its identity around students who are first in their families to reach college. Today it is a small private college on Springfield's State Street, best known for health-science degrees, a men's hockey team that once knocked off the nation's top seed, and a long run of U.S. News social-mobility recognition.
About this site
American International College is a college & university in Springfield, Hampden County. It is one of 8 colleges & universities documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.1139, -72.5576 near Springfield. The nearest cataloged historic site is Indian Motorcycle Company (landmark), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Knox Automobile Company Building, White House, and Moore House.
This record is drawn from MassRoam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes American International College different
Before World War I, students from more than 40 countries were taking English, U.S. history, math and science at AIC. aic.edu
Its fourth president, R. DeWitt Mallary, published a journal called Immigration that argued against anti-immigrant prejudice in the years before World War I. aic.edu
AIC's student Model Congress dates to 1941. aic.edu
In the 1950s AIC taught Marshall Plan managers from Europe and, with local employers, awarded the first MBA in its region. aic.edu
On March 29, 2019, in Fargo, N.D., AIC's men's hockey team beat No. 1 St. Cloud State 2–1 in its first-ever NCAA tournament game. aicyellowjackets.com
The college's nursing program has held approval from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing every year since 1982. aic.edu
The Springfield News Company / Tichnor Bros. / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
History
American International College is a private college in Springfield founded on July 18, 1885, and chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts later that year. It was originally established to educate immigrants arriving in America, and it began admitting women in 1892. Today AIC is a coeducational institution organized into schools of Business, Arts and Sciences, and Health Sciences.
The college did not start in Springfield. The Rev. Calvin Amaron, a McGill-educated minister working among French-Canadian mill families, opened it in Lowell as the French Protestant College. After two lean years, Springfield backers offered land and money, and in 1888 the school moved into a former hospital building in its new city. It was renamed the French-American College in 1894 and took the name American International College in 1905, once its students came from far beyond the French-Canadian community.
After World War II AIC added an evening college and summer school for returning veterans, then built up business, teacher-education and science programs. In the 1950s it trained managers from European countries rebuilding under the Marshall Plan and, through an executive program with local employers, awarded the region's first MBA. A nursing division, the area's first criminal justice degree and a doctoral program in educational psychology followed, and the Health Science Complex opened in 1996.
The 2010s brought national attention on the ice: the men's hockey team reached three NCAA Division I tournaments between 2019 and 2022. In late 2024 the college adopted a cost-cutting plan called Pathway to Progress that returned hockey to Division II, and in July 2025 Nicolle Cestero became AIC's first woman president. In September 2026 its accreditor, NECHE, asked the college to show cause at a January 2027 meeting why it should not be placed on probation over its finances; AIC remains accredited while that review continues.
Recognized among Top Performers on Social Mobility (third straight year) — U.S. News & World Report, 2026source
#215 in Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars: Northeast — Washington Monthly, 2026source
Majors & programs
AIC organizes its degrees into three schools: Business, Arts, and Sciences; Education; and Health Sciences. Undergraduates choose from about three dozen majors, and graduate students can go as far as doctorates in physical therapy, education and psychology. The health-science programs carry their own national accreditations.
Known for
Doctor of Physical Therapy
CAPTE-accredited. AIC reports an 88.9% first-time and 96.2% ultimate pass rate on the national PT licensing exam for 2024, and 100% employment for 2024–25 graduates.
Known for
Nursing (BSN and MSN)
CCNE-accredited, with state Board of Registration approval every year since 1982. The college says its NCLEX-RN pass rates have run at 90% and up.
Known for
Occupational Therapy
A combined bachelor's/master's and entry-level master's program accredited by ACOTE, whose graduates sit for the NBCOT certification exam.
Known for
Business and the region's first MBA
AIC's executive program with local companies awarded the first MBA in its region in the 1950s, and business remains one of its three schools.
All degree programs at American International College (3)
School of Business, Arts, and Sciences
Majors include accounting, biology, criminal justice, cybersecurity, digital media production, psychology, political science and graphic arts and design; graduate programs include the MBA and clinical mental health counseling
School of Health Sciences
Nursing (BSN, MSN, family nurse practitioner), occupational therapy, the Doctor of Physical Therapy, exercise science, public health and health sciences
School of Education
Teacher licensure (early childhood, elementary, middle/secondary, moderate disabilities), school counseling, reading specialist and an Ed.D. in educational leadership
Post Tenebras Lux: A Brief History of AIC · American International CollegeAIC men's hockey team beats number 1 seed, St. Cloud State in NCAA tournament · WWLP-22NewsAIC Atlantic Hockey Championship · WWLP-22NewsAIC celebrates 140th anniversary with time capsule ceremony · WWLP-22News
American International College: questions & answers
What is American International College known for?
Health-science degrees (physical therapy, nursing and occupational therapy), a mission rooted in educating immigrants and first-generation students, and a men's hockey team that upset No. 1 St. Cloud State in the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Is AIC still accredited?
Yes. In September 2026 NECHE asked AIC to show cause at its January 2027 meeting why it should not be placed on probation over its finances. The college remains accredited during that review and posts updates on its NECHE page.
What division is AIC in?
NCAA Division II. The Yellow Jackets play in the Northeast-10 Conference, and men's hockey moved back from Division I to Division II in 2025–26.
How big is AIC?
About 2,000 students in Fall 2024 (1,207 undergraduates and 830 graduate students) on a 58-acre campus in Springfield.
Who is the president of AIC?
Nicolle Cestero, the college's 13th president and the first woman in the job. She took office in July 2025.
Can you visit the AIC campus?
Yes. The admissions office books visits, and the campus is at 1000 State Street in Springfield.
Where does AIC hockey play?
The men's team plays home games at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield.
The self-guided American International College campus tour tells the story of each landmark as you reach it (0.0 mi · walking · ~32m · 4 stops). It's included with MassRoam+, alongside 82,000+ Massachusetts historic sites on one live map.
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