Colleges and Universities
Colleges and Universities
In addition to its excellent pupblic and private schools, Western North Carolina also offers a diverse selection of universities, colleges and technical schools that strenghthen the area’s skilled workforce. Furthermore, businesses in the ara promote hands-on learning throught co-ops and internships with schools in the region.
Named by the U.S. News and World Report as the fifth-best public liberal arts school in the nation in 2006, the University of North Carolina at Asheville (www.unca.edu) has been ranked among the top five for the past six years. UNC-Asheville offers its students small class sizes of about 19, a low student-faculty ratio and service learning opportunities to benefit themselves and the surrounding community. With an enrollment of about 3,500, UNC-Asheville is affiliated with the NCAA Division I sports in addition to 70 clubs and organizations that involve outdoor recreation, student government, honor and service, art, dramatic and musical performance, sororities and fraternities, student publications and intramural sports.
Established in 1959, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (www.abtech.edu) is a public, two-year school serving 9,000 in curriculum programs and about 16,000 students total including extension programs. Asheville-Buncombe Tech offers 56 different curriculum programs, 45 degrees, 13 diplomas and 41 certificates in its five different divisions: Allied Health and Public Service Education, Arts and Sciences, Business and Hospitality Education, Continuing Education, and Engineering and Applied Technology.
In 1965, Haywood Industrial Education Center opened with one curriculum program and 15 students. Today it is known as Haywood Community College (www.haywood.edu), an affiliate of the North Carolina Community College System. Haywood Community College is located on a beautiful 83-acre campus in Clyde that includes an arboretum and teaching forest. With 42 curriculum programs, the school now serves about 2,600 students in degree programs and 6,270 in continuing education. Additionally, Haywood offers programs in continuing education adult basic education, GED preparation, occupational courses and community service programs.
Warren Wilson College has a motto: “We’re not for everyone . . . but then, maybe you’re not everyone.” With a unique approach to post-secondary education, Warren Wilson College (www.warren-wilson.edu) provides an on-campus work program where students and supervisorswork together to operate the college, learn work values and acquire problem-solving skills. Each student must work 15 hours per weeks to meet the requirement. Ninety percent of its 800 students live on campus and come from 42 different states across the nation and 10 countries. Warren Wilson offers 40 majors and concentrations and 27 minors. Most of its students seek degrees in Environmental Science, Engineering and Outdoor Leadership. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report recognized Warren Wilson as 38th Best Southern University for master’s programs, and the Princeton Review named it as one of the Best 361 colleges.
Founded in 1856, Mars Hill College (www.mhc.edu) is the oldest educational institution in Western North Carolina still on its original site and is affiliated with the North Carolina Baptist Convention. Offering degrees in 30 different majors and 33 minors, Mars Hill enrolls about 1,275 students and boasts a student-teacher ratio of 16:1. In addition to its 18 sports teams participating in NCAA Division II, Mars HIll also offers 43 clubs and organizations including government, music, theater and social clubs.
With an enrollment of 2,100 students, Blue Ridge Community College (www.blueridge.edu) was established in 1969 to service the educational needs of Henderson and Transylvania counties. Blue Ridge Community College is located on a 140-acre campus in Flat Rock about two miles southeast of Hendersonville. The school also operates an extension center, Transylvania Center in Brevard. Providing opportunities for students to attain associates degrees, diplomas and certificates, Blue Ridge Community College also offers continuing education, distance-learning and cooperative education courses.
Since it opened in 1964, Southwestern Community College (www.southwest.cc.nc.us) in Sylva has awarded more than 7,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates to its students. The school offers over 50 degree, certificate and diploma programs including GED preparation and options to transfer to a four-year institution.
Founded by the Presbyterian Church in Black Mountain, Montreat College (www.montreat.edu) opened in 1916 with eight students. Originally called the Mountain Retreat Association, the school centered on encouraging Christian work. Since then, Montreat has evolved into a liberal arts college and increased its enrollment to more than 1,000 students. The school offers a student-teacher ratio of 12:1 and graduate degrees in Business Administration and Education. Montreat also has other campuses in Asheville, Black Mountain and Charlotte.
Created by merging Rutherford and Weaver college in 1934, the history of Brevard College (www.brevard.edu) goes back to 1853. Affiliated with the Methodist church, Brevard college is a four-year, private college spread over a 120-acres campus. The school enrolls about 600 students and offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in 18 different majors and pre-professional degrees in law, dentistry, medicine, nursing and veterinary science.
Founded in 1865, Shaw University (www.shawuniversity.edu) is the oldest historically black college in the South. A private college affiliated with the Baptist Church, Shaw University is centered in Raleight but operates one of its Centers for Alternative Programs of Education (CAPE) in Asheville.
Centered on the Bible as the focus of studies, Trinity Baptist Bible College in Asheville (www.tbbc.edu) offers a four-year Bachelor of Theology degree for preachers, pastors, missionaries and evangelists as well as a Graduate of Theology degree and Christian Worker’s diploma.
Located in Cullowhee, Western Carolina University (www.wcu.edu) enrolls 8,600 students in more than 120 majors and 30 graduate programs. Western Carolina was the first public university in the state to require students to have a personal computer. The school has recently built a $30 million fine arts center, part of a $130 million construction project that will double the size of the school. Western Carolina also features Hunter Library, the largest in Western North Carolina.
South College – Asheville (www.southcollegenc.com) is a private, two-year school offering associate of applied science degrees in accounting, business administration, paralegal studies, office technology, medical assisting, criminal justice, physical therapy assistant and network technology. Certificate programs and general education courses are also offered at South College.
