LR at a Glance

Fast Facts


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 Caroline”
  • Mission, vision and values
More About Lenoir-Rhyne

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

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
Explore Our Academic Programs

Athletics


  • Mascot: Joe Bear
  • Conferences: South Atlantic Conference
  • Affiliation: NCAA Division II
  • Teams: 23
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Olivia Nunn

The core values of the university aren’t just words on a poster. They are values implemented everywhere on campus—in the classroom, on the court and in the community.

Olivia Nunn '21, Biology
Rev. Dr. Chad Rimmer

In this update, Rev. Dr. Chad Rimmer, rector and dean of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), shares exciting developments as LTSS settles into its new home on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.

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Hagan Suchocki standing in front of the Charge wearing a black Bears Give Back t-shirt

Lenoir-Rhyne offers students opportunities to grow in themselves and give back to their communities. Hagan Suchocki '25 has embraced those opportunities with unmatched enthusiasm.

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