Type: Liberal arts college

Location: Lexington, Kentucky—population 270,000

History: Founded in 1780; sixteenth college in the U.S.; first west of the Allegheny Mountains

Name: Transylvania is Latin for across the woods, an appropriate description of Kentucky in the late 1700s.

Enrollment: 1092. The entering class of 297 has 283 first-year students and 14 transfers.  The average ACT score is 26 with a middle 50 percent range from 23-29. Forty-five percent are in the top 10 percent of their high school class, 43 are Kentucky Governor’s Scholars or Governor’s School for the Arts participants, and nine are National Merit Finalists. The average high school GPA is 3.71.

Academics: Transylvania’s faculty members are dedicated to undergraduate teaching and almost all hold the Ph.D. or highest degree in their field. Transylvania offers the Bachelor of Arts degree in 37 majors, students can design their own majors, and dual-degree engineering programs are offered with two major universities. The student-faculty ratio is 13 to 1—many classes have fewer than 10 students.

International Studies: Study abroad is offered for the term, year, or summer at locations around the world including a semester program at Regent’s College in London, England; 65 percent of students study abroad.

Endowment: 100.3 million

Scholarships and Financial Aid: Extensive merit-based scholarships and need-based assistance offered; more than 95 percent of students receive some kind of financial aid.

Tuition: Transylvania’s tuition and fees ($25,280) and room and board ($7,770) are below the national average for comparable private liberal arts colleges.

Affiliation: Transylvania is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Accreditation: Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097; Telephone 404-679-4501) to award the bachelor of arts degree. Education program accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education at the initial teacher preparation level.