Higher education in Yukon is shaped by the territory's small population (40,717 people as of Dec. 2018) in a relatively large geographic area. The history of higher education went hand in hand with the establishment of a representative territorial government in 1979. Yukon University is the only higher education institution in Yukon. Yukon University issues certificate, diploma, and degree programs. In December, 2019, the Yukon Legislature passed a bill that would transform Yukon College into Yukon University.