Berea College has earned renown for the excellence of its academic programs as well as for its unique labor program and strong focus on service to Appalachia. Our curriculum, grounded in the liberal arts, is complemented by the opportunity for students to major in many different professional and interdisciplinary programs as well as traditional liberal arts disciplines. Berea offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields. Our current student/faculty ratio is 10/1 so our classes are small and our faculty are accessible. Perhaps our most distinctive academic attribute is the extent to which students take responsibility for helping one another learn.

By availing themselves of opportunities for internships, field study, study abroad, and faculty-assisted research, Berea College students can personalize and enrich their academic experience. Many Berea alumni find employment in business, government, agriculture, ministry, and teaching, while nearly half of Berea's graduates pursue advanced degrees in disciplines such as law, medicine, theology, education, or the arts and sciences. Berea graduates have received many prestigious awards such as Fulbright, Truman, Compton and Watson fellowships and scholarships. Recently Berea alumnus John Fenn received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.