History 

University of the Potomac was established in 1989 as Potomac Educational Foundation to operate an educational institution of higher learning. In 1991, it became Potomac College, a two-year, upper-division degree-completion institution in Rockville, Maryland, serving working adults who were currently employed and were seeking to complete their college degrees.

In December 1994, Potomac was accredited by the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools.

Potomac College relocated from Rockville, Maryland, to 4000 Chesapeake Street NW, Washington, DC, in 1997 and was granted approval to award Bachelor of Science degrees by the District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission.

In 1998, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia granted Potomac College approval to award Bachelor of Science degrees at its Virginia campus. Courses were initiated in Herndon, Virginia, in 2001. During these times, Potomac experienced a distinct shift in its student and employer-customer demands, and both companies and their employees began to demand different accreditation as a response to the shifting marketplace. As a result, Potomac College was granted accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in June 2006. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a post-secondary accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Council of Higher Education Accreditation.

In 2007, the College received approval to offer online programs, and in the fall of 2008, the College initiated online course delivery to complement the two on-ground campus locations.
In 2012, the Virginia branch campus was relocated to 2070 Chain Bridge Road, near Tysons Corner, in Vienna, VA.

In 2013, Potomac College was renamed University of the Potomac. This name change has been approved by the District of Columbia Education Licensure Commission in the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The school’s new “University” status is the result of years of academic growth for the institution. To accommodate its growth, University of the Potomac relocated its Washington, D.C. campus into the heart of the city’s business and government district at 1401 H Street NW, three blocks from the White House.

In 2018, University of the Potomac at Chicago was established with regulatory approval for non-degree programs from the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Vocational Licensure Division. The University of the Potomac at Chicago acquired IBHE approval to offer a Medical Assisting diploma and Certificates in English as a Second Language (ESL).

In 2019, the Virginia branch campus was relocated to 7799 Leesburg Pike, Suite 200, Falls Church, VA, near Tysons Corner. Later that year, Potomac received MSCHE approval to offer doctoral programs in Computer Science, Education, and Business Administration. Due to updated strategic priorities, the University decided to close its learning site in Chicago, IL, in December 2022.

Currently, University of the Potomac offers three Doctorate degrees, eight Master’s degrees, six Bachelor of Science degrees, three Associate of Science degrees, and two certificate programs. Management, information technology, and business are the primary areas of education.