Founded in 1960 as a two-year branch of the College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University became independent in 1977 and gained university status in 1991. It is a small, selective public university located in Newport News, Virginia. Around 4,900 students from 25 states and 30 foreign nations are currently enrolled at the university. Undergraduate and graduate programs at the university include more than 80 academic majors and programs, ranging from accounting to theater arts, management to social work.