Antioch University New England, the first of the graduate programs offered by Antioch College, was founded in 1964 as the Antioch Putney Graduate School. It opened its doors in Putney, Vermont to a small but passionate group of students whose learning was facilitated by a visionary faculty influenced by the progressive teachings of Horace Mann and inspired by a new revolutionary American culture demanding greater social, economic, and environmental justice.

This passion and commitment have proven resilient and sustainable through the years, even with name changes and relocations from Putney to Harrisville then Keene, New Hampshire, and to the current Avon Street campus in 1994. Antioch University New England claims its niche by integrating engaged scholarship with informed practice, and by responding and adapting to community and global needs.