Berea College is distinctive among institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1855 as the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, Berea charges no tuition and admits only academically promising students, primarily from Appalachia, who have limited economic resources. Berea’s cost of educating a student exceeds $23,000 per year.
Berea offers rigorous undergraduate academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields. All students work at least 10 hours per week in campus and service jobs in more than 130 departments.
The College has an inclusive Christian character, expressed in its motto "God has made of one blood all peoples of the Earth." Berea's primary service region is the Southern Appalachian region, but students come from all states in the U.S. and in a typical year, from more than 60 other countries representing a rich diversity of colors, cultures, and faiths. About one in three students represents an ethnic minority.
Berea continues to build upon a distinctive history of 150 years of learning, labor and service, and find new ways to apply our mission (the Great Commitments) to contemporary times by promoting kinship among all people, serving communities in Appalachia and beyond and living sustainably to conserve limited natural resources.
Berea College is a small liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky (south of Lexington), founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,500 students. Berea College is distinctive among post-secondary institutions for providing low-cost education to students from low-income families and for having been the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. Berea College charges no tuition; every admitted student is provided the equivalent of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship (currently worth more than $90,000).
Berea offers undergraduate academic programs in 28 different fields. Berea College has a full-participation work-study program. All students are required to work at least 10 hours per week in campus and service jobs in over 130 departments. Berea's primary service region is the Southern Appalachian region, but students come from all states in the United States and more than 60 other countries. Approximately one in three students represents an ethnic minority .
Founded in 1855 on the abolitionist principles of John Gregg Fee (1816-1901), Berea College admitted both black and white students in a fully integrated curriculum, making it the first nonsegregated, coeducational college in the South and one of a handful of institutions of higher learning to admit both male and female students in the mid-1800s. The College began as a one-room schoolhouse that also served as a church on Sundays. Although the school's first articles of incorporation were adopted in 1859, founder John Gregg Fee and the teachers were forced out of the area by pro-slavery supporters in that same year. Fee spent the Civil War years raising funds for the school and returned afterward to continue his work. In 1869, the first college students were admitted, and the first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1873.
|
Full-Time vs. Part-Time
|
Men vs. Women
|
||||
|
Race/Ethnicity
|
|
In State vs. Out-of-State
|
Top States for Incoming Freshman
|
| Percent of Students International: | 7% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 91% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NAIA |
| Sports Include: |
Basketball (Kentucky Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Baseball (Kentucky Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Track (Kentucky Intercollegiate Ath Conf) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 516 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 516 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,252 | 82% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 1,304 | 35% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 21,096 | 100% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 1,974 | 29% | |
Any Aid: |
100% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 27% (Most Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 25% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 510, Math: 503 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 638, Math: 618 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 73% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 21, Verbal: 21, Math: 18 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 26, Math: 24 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Recommended |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice
|
 |
|
|
A few weeks ago I decided to enroll at Berea College and now I'm starting to regret my decision. I'm a really good student, and I'm not 100% positive that it's as academically competitive as the school I turned down (The College of Wooster) which I couldn't afford ($11,000+ in loans every year after financial aid). I decided to go to Berea because I was offered a full tuition scholarship (as are all admitted students), it is focused a lot on service and because it was a small, private liberal arts school, which I really wanted. My problem is looking back, I feel like my father pressured me into Berea because it's where he went. We don't have a lot of money, and I think I got scared about college debt. I do like how Berea does have more of a lower economic background atmosphere (something I want after being the only blue-collar kid in an upper middle class school). I like Berea a lot, but I'm just not positive it'll get me into the best grad school. Am I just freaking out or what?
18 months ago
Best Answer
I think you need to, at least, take a test drive of the school, for a semester or so. You are freaking out a little it sounds. College is a huge step, and nerves are definitely getting the best of you. I think you should go and see how you like it once classes actually begin. If it's not what you wanted then transfer. You're a good student and if you keep your status, transferring to a university of choice wouldn't be hard later on.
You'll be fine, I just think you should give it a chance. It'll all work out either way.
Best of luck in your future!
|
