Vassar College (/ˈvæsər/ vass-ər) is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the first degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. It became coeducational in 1969, and now has a gender ratio at the national average. The school is one of the historic Seven Sisters, the first elite female colleges in the US, and has historic relationship with Yale University, which suggested a merger with the college before coeducation at both institutions.