Â鶹¹ÙÍø at a Glance
Fast Facts
Â鶹¹ÙÍø is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.
University Information
- Founded in 1891 by four Lutheran pastors
- Three locations: Hickory, N.C.; Asheville, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.
- Motto: Veritas vos Liberabit (the truth shall set you free)
- Alma mater: “Fair Star of Carolineâ€
- Mission, vision and values
Student Body
- 2,230+ students
- 1,477 undergraduate (on-campus in Hickory, N.C.)
- 753 graduate (on-campus and online)
- Student distribution: 39 states/territories; 75 North Carolina counties; 29 countries
- $30+ million awarded in scholarships and financial aid annually
- $200,000+ in study abroad scholarships for Â鶹¹ÙÍø students
- 17,643+ living alumni (undergraduate and graduate degree holders) from all 50 states and many countries around the globe
Turn Passion into Purpose
At Â鶹¹ÙÍø, you’ll explore meaningful programs that challenge you, support your goals and prepare you for a fulfilling career and life of purpose.
In the Classroom
- Majors Offered: 45+
- Minors: 53
- Graduate Programs: 20
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15:1
- Average class size: 22
- Faculty: 127 full time; more than 80% hold terminal degrees
Go Bears!
Â鶹¹ÙÍø's passionate fan base supports a number of championship-caliber intercollegiate athletic programs that compete as a member of the NCAA and South Atlantic Conference.
Athletics
- Mascot: Joe Bear
- Conferences: South Atlantic Conference
- Affiliation: NCAA Division II
- Teams: 23
The highlight of my Â鶹¹ÙÍø experience was traveling to Ireland with Â鶹¹ÙÍø A Capella. Visiting the Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, Belfast and Galway were some of the best experiences of my life.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Tim Egan will visit Â鶹¹ÙÍø in March 2027 to deliver the inaugural Huffman Lecture on Social Justice, focused on democracy and civic responsibility.
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After immigrating from Korea to Hawaii, Agnes Park crossed a continent to attend Â鶹¹ÙÍø. She graduated in 1924, and in 2025, her granddaughter traced the journey of one of the first international Bears.
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