LR at a Glance
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 Caroline”
- 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 LR 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 Lenoir-Rhyne, 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 14:1
- Average class size: 22
- Faculty: 127 full time; more than 80% hold terminal degrees
Go Bears!
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
Being able to work so closely with top-notch faculty members is something that most institutions cannot provide. None of this would’ve been possible without the generous contributions of donors.
A new campus home for fraternities and sororities will provide a dedicated space for connection, leadership and community as Greek Life participation continues to grow.
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Opening the 2026–27 season of the Visiting Writers Series, McCarthy talked about friends, writing, travel and the strange but beautiful afterlife of teen stardom.
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