Allegheny College is a small, highly selective and private liberal arts college located in Meadville, Pennsylvania located 90 miles north of Pittsburgh and 90 miles east of Cleveland. Founded in April 1815 by Timothy Alden, Allegheny College was the first college west of the Appalachian Mountains and is among the oldest 1 percent of colleges and universities in the country. The college has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church but welcomes all faiths and traditions. The college's famous alumni include President William McKinley, journalist Ida Tarbell, and Academy Award winner Ben Burtt. In 1971, the movie Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me, based on the novel by Richard Farina of the same name, was filmed on college grounds; the movie was a box office flop. On October 13, 2004, Vice President Dick Cheney visited the campus for a campaign stop. Today, the college's undergraduate enrollment as of 2004-2005 is nearly 2,000 with an average class size of 16, representing 35 states and 15 countries with the class of 2008 being the largest in the college's history.
Allegheny College is known for having an extremely liberal campus, including both faculty members and students.