College Tour: Anderson University

Last weekend my family and I visited Anderson, South Carolina, and toured Anderson University as part of their First Glance event.  

The Basics 

Anderson University is a private, Christian college on the North-Western side of South Carolina. They are affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and there are over 4200 students enrolled.  

The Christian Aspect 

Anderson University focuses on its Four Pillars of Distinction, one of which is Great Faith. They require 8 credits of Campus Worship per semester, for a total of 64 credits required for graduation. Campus Worship happens every Wednesday and Friday at 10 am. Anderson does not schedule classes during these times so that everyone can have the opportunity to attend. 

I was very impressed with how dedicated they are to maintaining a Christian campus, and I was happy to see that they referred to Christianity many times during the tour. While Anderson does not require students to sign a statement of faith, staff and faculty do.  

Academics 

A second pillar that Anderson focuses on is Great Academics. There are over 50 degree options including cybersecurity, interior design, computing and data analytics, Christian studies, and computer engineering. They have also been an Apple Distinguished School for four consecutive years. They were awarded this title for implementing technology in innovative and helpful ways in the classroom. Each student is given an iPad to keep, and most students will take them to classes to take notes. 

Anderson University also offers an honors program. This program doesn’t just add more work to normal courses; it seeks to lead students in discussion-based classical-style learning. The core courses of the honors program are very similar to what most classically educated students are familiar with, and on average the participants have a 31 ACT or 1380 SAT score.  

Anderson University College of Health Professions

Student Life 

The final pillars that Anderson tries to implement are Great Hospitality and Great Purpose. For hospitality, they have over 100 student activities and they seek to get students involved in a Christian community. Although their academic program seems wonderful, Anderson also recognizes that students should not learn only in the classroom. The pillar of Great Purpose seeks to help students discover what God has called them to through clubs and organizations, campus ministries, and servant leadership.  

Anderson has ten men’s and ten women’s NCAA Division II sports, including golf, lacrosse, tennis, and cross country. Additionally, there are over 40 intramural sports for students to be involved in. For housing, they offer 16 on-campus housing options, including traditional halls, suite-style rooms, and townhomes.  

Anderson Student Center

Scholarships and Admissions 

Anderson has competitive scholarships that include full tuition, full tuition plus a room stipend, and full ride. They also offer merit scholarships based on test scores, GPA, and/or class rank. Finally, they offer a variety of smaller grants and scholarships that are based on being in specific programs and/or other requirements. Most of their scholarships are stackable, and they do accept the CLT.  

I loved our visit to Anderson University. They seemed very focused on Christianity without sacrificing a high level of academics. Additionally, they seem very homeschool-friendly and they support the classical method. Overall, it seems like a wonderful school.