Quick Facts

Berea College offers a high quality liberal arts education to students of all races, who have great promise but limited economic resources.

Founded in 1855 as the first interracial and co-educational college in the South, the College promotes understanding and kinship among all people, service to communities in Appalachia and beyond, and sustainable living practices which set an example of new ways to conserve our limited natural resources.

Our motto is “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth” (Acts 17:26) because it reminds us that all people deserve the opportunity to succeed.

Berea is nationally recognized for its outstanding liberal arts curriculum, offering:

• Bachelor degrees in 28 fields, including arts and sciences and select professional programs, as well as independent, student-designed majors.
• Dual-degree engineering program in cooperation with Washington University-St. Louis and the University of Kentucky.
• 14 teacher education programs.
• 20 departmental and national academic honor societies.
• Academic credit internships in which 7% of students currently work.
• Student/faculty undergraduate research opportunities in multiple fields.
• Accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Teacher Education Program accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Department of Nursing accredited by the National League for Nursing.

Admission to Berea College is selective in that we are able to enroll only about one out of every five applicants. In 2009-2010:

• Berea College enrolled 392 new freshmen out of 2,745 applications.
• The average ACT of those enrolled was 23.5.
• 55% of those enrolled graduated in the top 20% of their high school class.
• 56% were first generation college students (neither parent has received a college degree)

For a liberal arts college with an annual enrollment of 1,500 students, Berea produces a significant variety of leaders in fields such as education, science, law, business, entertainment, and government.

• 17,296 living alumni in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories.
• Alums in over 60 nations outside the United States.
• 35 alumni chapters throughout the United States.
• Over 30% of alums since 1970 hold advanced degrees.
• Distinguished alums include 2002 Nobel Prize-winner John Fenn, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Juanita M. Kreps, Tony Award-winner Tharon Musser, and automotive engineer and designer Jack Roush, owner of Roush Racing.

Since Berea College students are guaranteed a four-year full-tuition scholarship that covers the "cost of education," students are able to graduate with very little debt.

• Cost of Education: $21,300
  (paid for through a combination of the following: funds from the College endowment, federal and state grants, donor gifts, and scholarships)
• Room, Board and Fees: $6,702
  (including a $300 technology fee to support the student laptop computer program, as well as a mandatory health fee)
• Books and other Incidentals: $2,502

Berea College has achieved significant success in the area of athletics in the past and continues to do so in the present.

• Intercollegiate program of 8 men’s and 8 women’s sports.
• Member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC).
• Men’s basketball team has made national tournament appearances in 5 of the last 8 years, including a Final Four appearance in 1999.
• Cross country and track and field teams have sent over 100 athletes to nationals in the past 20 years and boast 22 NAIA All-Americans.
• 65% of students participate in a variety of intramural and club sports.

Berea’s goal is to create an integrated and continuous learning environment that teaches students the appropriate uses of modern technology.

• Each student receives a current model portable laptop computer, which they own upon graduation.
• Over 4,000 data ports with access to campus network and internet.
• Network ports for each student in each residence hall room, plus access in classrooms, lounges, the library, and all campus buildings.
• Technical support plus hardware and software training opportunities.

The unique combination of factors which distinguish Berea includes:

• Charges no tuition and only serves students with financial need.
• Nationally recognized labor program in which all students participate.
• Commitment to the Appalachian region and the state of Kentucky, where 75% of incoming students reside.
• Ranked 13th best college nationally for African-American students (Kaplan DayStar Guide to Colleges.)
• Nationally recognized service-learning program (U.S.News & World Report)
• John Fenn, a Berea alumnus, awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Multiple Fulbright, Truman, Udall, and Watson fellowship winners.

Since its founding, Berea has welcomed students from “all nations and climes.”

• 1,520 undergraduates, representing 38 states, D.C., and 64 countries
• 72% of students from the Appalachian region and Kentucky.
• 30% Minority student enrollment.
• 8% International student enrollment.

The College environment is designed to enhance student learning, and features:

• 140 beautifully landscaped acres on central campus.
• Historical buildings showcasing many eras of American architecture, including Draper Hall classroom building (modeled after Philadelphia’s Independence Hall); Phelps Stokes Auditorium (a 1,500 seat facility built by students in 1904); Danforth Chapel; Fairchild Hall (the first brick building on campus); Jelkyl Drama Center; Seabury Center (for physical education and health); and the Woods-Penniman Crossroads Complex.
• A residential campus with 14 residence halls and 9 specialty houses, plus 50 family housing apartments, accommodating about 88% of students on campus.
• Berea College Ecovillage student family housing complex, including a state-of-the-art child care center for 120 children. The Ecovillage models sustainable living with ecological design elements to vastly reduce energy and water usage.
• 7,700 acres of forest and 1,200 acres for instruction in agriculture and natural resources.
• Historic Boone Tavern Hotel on College Square, staffed with a number of student workers.
• Seabury Center

The College retains excellent faculty from prestigious graduate programs across the nation and the world.

• Full-time faculty of 131; 29 part-time.
• 91% of faculty hold highest degree in their fields.
  Student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.
• Average class size is 16, ensuring personal attention for each student.

Berea offers aid to every student.

Since they pay no tuition, Berea students receive the equivalent of a four year scholarship worth up to $96,400. Fees and other expenses are covered by student work in the Labor Program, as well as other grants and scholarships.

Berea offers varied opportunities for all interested students to create and perform.

• Four choral groups and seven instrumental ensembles, including chamber music, African-American sacred music, jazz, bluegrass, and percussion.
• Presser Music Building, completely renovated in 2003, offers state of the art recital hall and practice rooms.
• Draper Tower houses the 56-bell carillon used in concerts, teaching, and daily chimes.
• The Jelkyl Drama Center mounts four annual student- and faculty-directed performances in the Musser black box theatre or in the McGaw, a 250-seat convertible stage.
• Three dance performing groups, including traditional European and Appalachian dance, modern dance, and Danish gymnastics, with three annual dance performances, as well as regional, national, and international tours.
• Five student dance clubs include swing dance, Latin dance, praise dance, hip hop, and African dance.
• Gallery space for student and faculty art and permanent art collection display, including the Dimitrie Berea Gallery, dedicated to the internationally recognized post-Impressionist painter.
• Art studio space for drawing, painting, design, fibers, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture.

An international emphasis stems from Berea’s scriptural foundation “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth.”

• 18% of Berea students study abroad in over 30 nations. Berea Term Abroad pays up to 50% of student cost.
• 9% of Berea students come from 64 countries outside the United States.
• International Center offers multicultural educational and extracurricular opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.

The first interracial, coeducational college in the South, Berea continues to emphasize diversity.

• 18% of students enrolled for 2009-2010 were African-American.
• Ranked 13th nationally for African-American students based on educational and social environment by Kaplan DayStar Guide to Colleges for African-American Students.
• Black Cultural Center encourages understanding and appreciation of black culture and provides programs, services, and activities that promote intellectual and personal development for students of color.
• The African and African American Studies department offers students the option of either a Major or a Minor in African and African American Studies.

Hutchins Library meets the reference needs of students, faculty, staff, and the Berea community with:

• 358,556 volumes
• 42,377 e-books
• 750 print periodical subscriptions
• 13,756 full-text journals available electronically
• 11,593 media volumes
• Special Collections and Archives, including the Weatherford-Hammond Appalachian Collection, the largest collection of Appalachian archival materials in the United States.

Berea, with a population of 10,000, is located 35 miles south of Lexington where Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region meets the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains.

In 1988, Berea was designated the “Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky.”

The College is located near the center of town, which is easily accessible by car just off Interstate 75.

Driving time from Louisville, Ky., Knoxville, Tenn., or Cincinnati, Ohio is slightly more than two hours. Commercial airline service is available through Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.

Student retention rates at Berea are among the highest in the region.

• 82% of first-year students return as sophomores.
• 85% of first-year African-American students return as sophomores.

Students participate in traditional community service, stewardship of natural resources, and preservation of regional culture and traditions.

• Appalachian Center directs services and programs for and about Appalachia, as well as classroom opportunities to study history, heritage, and current challenges facing the region.
• Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) offers opportunities in and outside of the classroom for students and employees to serve others.
• Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) program teaches creative problem-solving and collaborative leadership through coursework and internships.
• TRIO programs (Upward Bound, Woodson Institute, and Educational Talent Search) encourage and assist low-income high school students to enter college and graduate.
• Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) program involves students in regional and campus environmental and ecological issues.
• Campus Christian Center sponsors student chaplains in all residence halls and encourages participation in service activities.

Berea’s social and cultural activities teach students leadership skills and coordinate with the academic program.

• More than 70 special interest clubs and organizations.
• Convocation Series brings notable speakers, scholars, and performers to campus.
• Campus Christian Center holds weekly chapel services and other worship events, including annual Accent on Christian Faith week.
• Wellness Program encourages healthy lifestyle, including free personal training for students.

Generous support from alumni and friends makes Berea’s unique labor and learning experience possible for promising young people from Appalachia and beyond.

• A privately supported, non-denominational college, Berea relies on gifts from friends and endowment income.
• $4 million must be raised annually for current operating expenses in addition to capital and tuition replacement funding needs.

Education at Berea involves both academics and the performance of work. Through the Work Program students:

• Work 10-15 hours per week while carrying a full academic load.
• Earn a modest paycheck.
• Develop their appreciation for the dignity and utility of labor.
• Gain valuable job experience for their future careers in over 130 student work areas.