Founded in 1856 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) Niagara University was first chartered in 1861 as a seminary. In 1883, Niagara was rechartered as a university for “the instruction of youth in the learned languages and in the liberal and useful arts and sciences.” In the years since its founding, NU has retained this tradition of emphasis on both the liberal and useful arts and sciences while it has grown into a mid-sized university of approximately 2,600 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, and about 750 students enrolled in continuing and community education.