Rockford University

Rockford University is a private university in Rockford, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1847 as Rockford Female Seminary and changed its name to Rockford College in 1892, and to Rockford University in 2013.

Rockford Female Seminary was founded in 1847 as the sister college of Beloit College, which had been founded the year before. The seminary's initial campus was on the east side of the Rock River, south of downtown Rockford. Anna Peck Sill served as principal for the first 35 years.

In 1890, the seminary's trustees voted to offer a full college curriculum, which led to the name changing to "Rockford College" in 1892. In 1896, Phebe Temperance Sutliff became the school's president, continuing in that role until 1901.

Men were first granted admission to the university at the beginning of the 1955–1956 school year. At about this time, the school requested that the City of Rockford close parts of a street adjoining the campus.

In 1984, Rockford College founded Regent's College in London, now Regent's University London.

On October 2, 2012, the board of trustees voted unanimously to rename the college as a university. The trustees did so because the institution has many different academic departments. On July 1, 2013, the institution officially became "Rockford University".

Patricia Lynott has served as the university's president since 2022.

The university held a business summit June 29, 2023, that included presidents of the Rockford Hard Rock Casino and OSF St. Anthony Medical Center.