Fast Facts
Lenoir-Rhyne 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
- $100,000+ in study abroad scholarships for LR students
- 17,643+ living alumni (undergraduate and graduate degree holders) from all 50 states and many countries around the globe
Lenoir-Rhyne has a number of engaged and challenging programs that can lead you down the path to a fulfilling career.
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
LR'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
I received a valuable education because of my scholarship. Without it, I probably wouldn’t have entered college only because I didn’t want the responsibility to lay on my parents.
Thank you to the 1,469 donors who made Bears Give Back 2025 a success, raising $695,472 to support Ï㽶´«Ã½ programs and students. Your generosity strengthens our community and fuels our future.
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For graduate assistant Lucas Quinn, M.A. '25, Carl A. Rudisill Library is more than a workplace — it’s a space for leadership, advocacy, and community.
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