The history of institutions of higher education includes the evolution of single-sex colleges and universities. In colonial America, private colleges often blurred the lines between church and state, creating variety in the types of colleges and universities that existed at that time. The institutions that existed during the colonial era, and which evolved into today's modern colleges and universities, had relationships with the state and were often publicly supported even though they had church affiliations. In light of legal issues surrounding their status, this entry examines contemporary legal questions involving single-sex institutions of higher learning.