Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois, which is the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois (a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area). It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. It is one of only seven federally-recognized work colleges in the United States, and Blackburn has the only student-managed work program, enabling students to gain leadership experience as they manage other students. All resident students are required to work, but commuter students can opt to participate in the work program if they would like. Each student that works receives a tuition discount for the hours they work in the work program. It is also the least expensive private college in Illinois. The work program was first instituted at Blackburn College in 1913 in order to provide access to higher education to individuals with the academic ability, but who were lacking the financial means. While cost reduction remains an important value of the work program today, there is an emphasis on the opportunities it provides for student learning.