About Appalachian
"One of the top five masters degree-granting universities in the South."
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina, Appalachian State University has built a national reputation for providing outstanding academics. With a student/faculty ratio of 17:1 and an average class size of 25, faculty members are able to take a personal interest in student progress, often becoming mentors, advisers, and friends - even tennis partners. That can only happen in a close-knit community.
Nestled at the base of Howard's Knob, the university is located in downtown Boone, NC (year-round pop. 15,000), a small town which thrives as one of the Southeast's premier tourism and outdoor recreation destinations. The nearby Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest provide a beautiful natural setting with unlimited possibilities for outdoor adventure.
Appalachian is a public institution and part of The University of North Carolina System.
Fast Facts
data source: Fact Book from the office of Institutional Research and Planning
Enrollment, Fall 2009
- 16,968 total
- 14,872 undergraduate
- 2,096 graduate
- 2,743 first-time freshmen
- 1,031 new transfer students
- 54% females
- 46% males
- 8.9% ethnic minorities
- 15,527 in state
- 1,441 out of state
- North Carolina counties most represented (all students): Wake, Mecklenburg, Watauga, Guilford, Forsyth. Catawba
- States most represented: North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee
Freshman Admissions, Fall 2009
- 13,039 applications
- 2,743 enrolled
- 1158 SAT average
- 3.92 GPA average
Cost (undergraduate tuition and fees), 2010-11 academic year
- $4,993 in state (excludes room and board)
- $16,305 out of state (excludes room and board)
Academics
- 17:1 student/faculty ratio
- 26 - average class size
- 6 undergraduate colleges, 1 music school, and 1 graduate school
- more than 140 undergraduate and graduate majors
- 86.4% freshman retention rate
- 61.6% five-year graduation rate
Degrees Awarded, 2008-09
- 2,634 Bachelors
- 687 Masters/Specialists/Graduate Certificates
- 15 Doctorate
- 3,336 total degrees awarded
Faculty, Fall 2009
- 824 full-time faculty
- 99% percentage of full-time faculty with doctorate, first professional degree, or other terminal degree
- 2,872 total full and part-time staff
Alumni, 2010
- More than 97,000 living alumni from all 50 states and several foreign countries.
Buildings & Campus, Fall 2010
- 1,300 acres, including a 410 acre main campus
- 19 academic buildings
- 210,000-square-foot library
- 1 off-campus center in New York City
- 20 residence halls, housing 4,996 students on campus
- 4 dining facilities
- 11 recreational and athletic facilities
Athletics, Fall 2010
- 20 varsity sports offered
- 19 club sports
- more than 60 intramural sports
Points of Pride
Student Satisfaction
Appalachian ranks No. 7 out of 592 schools in MyPlan.com's 2010 student rankings for "Overall Satisfaction & Happiness with Choice."
Value and Affordability
Repeatedly cited as a best value in public education, Appalachian's tuition and fees include a textbook rental program, which literally saves a student hundreds of dollars over four years.
Energy Efficient Living
Newly remodeled Frank Hall, a 203-bed residence hall, has been awarded LEED® gold certification, the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
Comprehensive Degree Offerings
Appalachian offers more than 140 undergraduate and graduate major programs through its College of Arts and Sciences, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Reich College of Education, Walker College of Business, University College, Hayes School of Music, College of Health Sciences and Cratis D. Williams Graduate School. Appalachian also offers a doctorate of education.
Undergraduate Research
Appalachian encourages opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects alongside their professors. Their work is showcased during the annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors held on campus as well as at professional conferences in the region and across the United States.
A Focus on Entrepreneurship
Twenty-eight percent of Appalachian students say their primary career aspiration is to own their own business. More than 200 students enroll in elective entrepreneurship courses each year, and Appalachian's Center for Entrepreneurship helps prepare them for success. More than 1,000 Walker College of Business alumni are already active entrepreneurs.
Internationally Connected
With study abroad opportunities on nearly every continent, Appalachian students have access to approximately 200 foreign sites for semester- and year-long programs of study.
Preparing Quality Nurses
Appalachian's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program, part of the new College of Health Sciences, has been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for five years, the longest period of time for which CCNE grants accreditation to a new program.
