In 1947, Wilkes College was instituted as an independent, nondenominational four-year college, with programs in the arts, sciences, and a number of professional fields, as well as numerous extracurricular activities. The student body in the postwar period was primarily composed of Luzerne County residents, especially G.I. bill recipients. In the 1950s, increasing numbers of students elected to live on campus, which led to a rapid expansion in on-campus student housing. Increased federal funding for science and engineering in the 1950s led the college to develop academic programs in those areas, build the Stark Learning Center, and increase enrollment.