Liberty University Description:
Founded by Jerry Falwell and grounded in evangelical Christian values, Liberty University takes pride in being the world's largest Christian university. The residential campus of about 12,000 students is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university enrolls another 50,000 online and has set a goal to increase that number significantly in the near future. Students come from all 50 states and 70 countries. Undergraduates can choose from 135 areas of study. Liberty has a 23 to 1 student / faculty ratio and all faculty are non-tenured. Liberty is not for everyone -- the Christ-centered school embraces political conservatism, prohibits alcohol and tobacco use, requires chapel three times weekly, and enforces a modest dress code and curfew. In athletics, the Liberty University Flames compete in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference. The school fields 20 varsity teams.
Admissions Data (2011):
- GPA, SAT and ACT data for Liberty (from Cappex.com)
- Liberty University has Open Admissions, but students scoring below 480 SAT reading or 18 ACT reading will need to take a learning strategies course.
- Middle 50% High School GPA: 3.0 - 3.7
- Test Scores -- 25th / 75th Percentile
- SAT Math + Critical Reading: 930 / 1140
- ACT Composite: 19 / 25
Enrollment (2010):
- Total Enrollment: 56,625 (36,053 undergraduates)
- Gender Breakdown: 47% Male / 53% Female
- 62% Full-time
Costs (2011 - 12):
- Tuition and Fees: $19,154
- Books: $1,400 (why so much?)
- Room and Board: $6,680
- Other Expenses: $3,400
- Total Cost: $30,634
Liberty University Financial Aid (2009 - 10):
- Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 98%
- Liberty University Scholarships (Cappex.com)
- Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of Aid
- Grants: 95%
- Loans: 67%
- Average Amount of Aid
- Grants: $8,185
- Loans: $6,807
Most Popular Majors:
Accounting, Business, Criminal Justice, Interdisciplinary Studies, Nursing, Psychology, Religion
Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates:
- First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 78%
- Transfer Out Rate: 8%
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 28%
- 6-Year Graduation Rate: 44%
Data Source:
National Center for Educational Statistics
Liberty University Mission Statement:
mission statement from http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=6899
"Maintaining the vision of the founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University develops Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world.
Through its residential and online programs, the University educates men and women who will make important contributions to their workplaces and communities, follow their chosen vocations as callings to glorify God, and fulfill the Great Commission. Liberty University will:
- Emphasize excellence in teaching and learning.
- Foster university-level competencies in communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and mathematics in all undergraduate programs.
- Ensure competency in scholarship, research, and professional communication in all graduate programs.
- Promote the synthesis of academic knowledge and Christian worldview in order that there might be a maturing of spiritual, intellectual, social and physical value-driven behavior.
- Enable students to engage in a major field of study in career-focused disciplines built on a solid foundation in the liberal arts.
- Promote an understanding of the Western tradition and the diverse elements of American cultural history, especially the importance of the individual in maintaining democratic and free market processes.
- Contribute to a knowledge and understanding of other cultures and of international events.
- Encourage a commitment to the Christian life, one of personal integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, social responsibility and active communication of the Christian faith, and, as it is lived out, a life that leads people to Jesus Christ as the Lord of the universe and their own personal Savior."
