▁On ▁the ▁third ▁floor ▁were ▁law , ▁commerce , ▁account ancy , ▁book keep ing , ▁mathematics , ▁and ▁art . ▁The ▁fourth ▁floor ▁consisted ▁of ▁larger ▁rec itation , ▁drawing , ▁and ▁lecture ▁rooms ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁various ▁science ▁labor ator ies . ▁Finally , ▁the ▁top ▁fifth ▁floor ▁held ▁small ▁boys ’ ▁d orm itories . ▁Each ▁floor ▁featured ▁a ▁central ▁long ▁hall way ▁surrounded ▁on ▁all ▁sides ▁by ▁class rooms ▁and ▁l abs , ▁offices , ▁or ▁larger ▁gather ing ▁spaces . ▁ ▁Y M CA ▁offered ▁both ▁classes ▁and ▁board ing ▁at ▁prices ▁that ▁were ▁significantly ▁lower ▁than ▁those ▁of ▁nearby ▁the ▁academic ▁institutions ▁and ▁was ▁open ▁in ▁the ▁evening , ▁so ▁that ▁young ▁men ▁who ▁worked ▁during ▁the ▁day ▁could ▁access ▁their ▁services . ▁ ▁The ▁organization ' s ▁many ▁popular ▁lect ures ▁and ▁classes ▁were ▁in ▁such ▁demand ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁known ▁then ▁as ▁N ort he astern ▁College , ▁a ▁degree ▁grant ing ▁institution . ▁So on ▁there after , ▁Y M CA ▁purchased ▁adjacent ▁land ▁on ▁Hun ting ton ▁and ▁founded ▁N ort he astern ▁University . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁about ▁the ▁mid - tw enti eth ▁century ▁that ▁through ▁a ▁change ▁of ▁byla ws , ▁the ▁University ▁established ▁itself ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁institution ▁from ▁Y M CA . ▁ ▁G ymnasium ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁g ymnas iums ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁key ▁element ▁of ▁Y M CA ' s ▁character