Clarke University is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, with a general attendance of approximately 1,200 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is one of three four-year post-secondary institutions in the City of Dubuque, and is one of three Catholic post-secondary institutions in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. What is now known as Clarke University was founded in 1843 by Mother Mary Frances Clarke as a boarding school for local girls, and was known as Saint Mary's Academy. It was one of the first such schools built west of the Mississippi River, and operated out of several different locations in its early years. In 1881, St. Mary's moved to its present location atop Dubuque's Seminary Hill (Clarke Drive) and was renamed Mount St. Joseph Academy and College. The college became a liberal arts school in 1901, and the first bachelor's degree was awarded in 1904. In 1910, Mt. St. Joseph was chartered by the state of Iowa, becoming a four-year college by 1913. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredited Mount St. Joseph in 1918.