A computer system at Antioch University was hacked three times and details on 70,000 people could have been stolen, the university has admitted.

It is not clear if the data had been stolen but the network hacked contained names, Social Security numbers, academic records and payroll documents for current and former students, applicants and employees going back to 1996.

Antioch University has campuses in Yellow Springs, Ohio; Seattle; Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and Keene. When the University became aware of the hack it took the server offline and shut down the area that enabled the intrusion to take place.

The University said it is contacting by mail people whose information could have been exposed.