Although supporters of the Free Academy saw its establishment as an opportunity for the poor and working class, most students came from a more middle class background with fathers working as clerks and in skilled trades. The curriculum of the Free Academy included academic courses, such as mathematics, history, composition, philosophy, Latin, French, and Spanish, and practical courses in mechanical drawing, stenography and bookkeeping. Students often would not complete a four-year degree at a time when such credentials were not necessary for many white-collar jobs, staying only long enough to gain the education needed to obtain employment.
