A Broader Vision

At Liberty University, we believe in helping our students gain a greater understanding of themselves and their world. We believe this gives them the freedom to define themselves not only by what they do but by who they are. We believe that inspiring them and equipping them to use their God-given gifts to the best of their abilities will radically transform the world for good.

Our mission of Training Champions for Christ challenges our students to think critically and creatively, so they’ll become men and women of character with the values, knowledge, and skills to contribute meaningfully to their workplaces, their communities, and the world.

We believe this commitment to the Christian life — one of personal integrity, sensitivity to the needs of others, social responsibility, and active communication of the Christian faith — is what makes our alumni stand out in the presence of their peers and draws the attention of the nation and the world. Training leaders of excellence for meaningful work in all walks of life is what we do.

Here, we don’t simply focus on how something is done, but why it should be done. Preparing students for effective, compassionate service in every vocation — law, medicine, education, engineering, science, and the arts — is our commitment, because we know that we are defined by more than our careers.

At Liberty, we prepare our graduates for more than a vocation. We prepare them for life.

Academics at Liberty

Liberty University is an accredited evangelical liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools and more than 700 programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level.

Emphasizing just the right balance between academic theory, research, and hands-on training, our unique approach to education means that students are able not only to succeed in their professions of choice but also to adapt and thrive in a constantly changing marketplace. It’s not just that they can do a job well, but that they have the critical thinking, research, data analysis, and communication skills that transfer to a variety of fields.

The faculty who mentor our students are distinguished men and women with years of real-world experience, advanced degrees from some of the world’s most respected schools, and a strong commitment to the Christian faith. Each member of our faculty is dedicated to mentorship and to helping students become leaders in their field. They combine academic excellence with robust Christian faith and are determined to help students do the same.

Beyond the Classroom

Because of the wide range of academic disciplines here at Liberty, our students have the opportunity to work with faculty and students from other departments on a variety of projects, learning to excel in today’s more collaborative professional environments. History students work with cinematic arts students to produce documentaries. Students studying forensic biology take part in criminal investigation exercises alongside government students. And government students interact with cybersecurity students from the School of Engineering. This sort of interdisciplinary teamwork means that our students learn to communicate with others whose skills complement their own and they gain experience that’s much closer to real-world professional settings than what can be mimicked in a classroom.

At Convocation, the largest weekly gathering of Christian students in the world, national leaders from government, sports, religion, and the arts encourage students to dissect and analyze a variety of opinions and worldviews.

Our graduates are well-rounded and prepared to thrive in today’s multifaceted culture. It’s no wonder that The Washington Post says that “…the school has exploded in size, financial resources, and in its presence in places like Capitol Hill, where its alumni are now a familiar sight.”

Through our online programs, students can get the degree they want from anywhere in the world—with the same quality instruction as our residential classes. A pioneer in distance education since 1985, Liberty provides exceptional resources and flexible eight-week sub-terms for busy adults.

Military Times has named Liberty a Best for Vets school several years running, and military students are eligible for tuition discounts, book vouchers, and credit for military training.

Athletics at Liberty

You’ll see Liberty’s dedication to excellence on the field, court, pool, and track through our NCAA Division I and Club Sports teams. Our student-athletes know that putting on a Liberty uniform calls them to more than just victory; superb sportsmanship and community service are a Flames tradition.

Modeling our students’ commitment to excellence and service to others are some of the best coaches in the country. Each day, they challenge our student-athletes to pursue greatness in every sphere of life.

Liberty’s athletic facilities consistently garner national attention as well. Liberty University is dedicated to providing athletes, students, and alumni with an unparalleled college sports experience.

New Construction for Our Thriving Campus

Maintaining a strong commitment to providing our students with state-of-the-art technology and world-class facilities, Liberty is actively recreating our campus with a single architectural vision.

All our new buildings are constructed with responsible stewardship and energy savings in mind. From innovative HVAC systems to smart lighting technologies to composting from leftovers, Liberty’s investment in caring for God’s creation is evident.

Wellness and Health for Our Students

Because physical health is vital to academic success, Liberty University has designed a comprehensive wellness program to help our students make the best choices when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and stress management.

The Food Court at Reber-Thomas offers a wide variety of healthy options, while our LaHaye Recreation and Fitness Center provides an array of exercise and sports facilities.

At Liberty, we understand the value of excellent interpersonal skills and intentionally give our students a variety of ways to cultivate healthy relationships. Diverse recreational opportunities such as intramural sports, local and global service projects, and on-campus concerts, events, and theatre productions provide students with countless options for making lasting memories with their friends.

The student leadership structure in residence halls creates a safe, supportive community where students can develop healthy relationships with their peers and grow in their faith.

Our Graduates

Graduates leave Liberty skilled and confident, ready to serve others and make a lasting impact on their profession. Recruiters from companies including Apple, Google, IBM, and KPMG actively seek out Liberty alumni because integrity, personal discipline, compassion, and versatility are the hallmarks of a Liberty education.

Our alumni are firm in their convictions, receptive to new ideas, and ready for the challenges of advanced citizenship.

As a community committed to Christ, Liberty emphasizes strong academic achievement and service to others. Liberty is, in every way, a world-class institution of higher learning devoted to preparing the whole student for success in all aspects of life.

Accolades

University-wide

• Liberty was named No. 1 on Newsmax’s “Top 100 Evangelical Christian Colleges” list in 2015
• Liberty is in the Top 10 on Newsmax’s list of “40 Conservative Colleges” (#9)
• In the list of the 20 Best Conservative Colleges in America, Liberty is ranked No. 5. (thebestschools.org)
• Liberty was named as a Top Veteran-Friendly school by U.S. Veterans Magazine
• Liberty University was named as #4 on Military Times’ Best for Vets 2017 list
• Liberty is ranked No. 11 on ChristianUniversitiesOnline.org’s list of Best Christian Colleges and Universities
• Liberty is ranked No. 3 on Hubspot.com’s Best Colleges of Instagram
• Seventy-five percent of residential alumni were actively working in their fields and 72.8% of online students were. 97% of alumni would recommend Liberty University to others

Academics

• The debate team at Liberty has won 12 ADA Championships, 7 CEDA Championships, and 8 NDT Champions from 2010-2015
• Students have won a total of 235 American Advertising Awards from 2012-2016 across the local, regional, and national levels
• Liberty University’s Quiz Bowl Team won the 2015 Big South Conference (BSC) Championship at Longwood University, marking its eighth BSC title in the last 10 years
• Liberty University’s Quiz Bowl team finished 14th in the nation among undergraduate teams at the 2015 Academic Competition Federation (ACF) Nationals
• In 2015, Liberty University awarded 542 doctorate degrees and 18 Ph.D. degrees.
• Liberty University awarded 18,383 degrees in 2015, including law degrees, associate degrees, and certificate programs
• Liberty has been selected as one of the Commonwealth’s top schools in the category of Science, Math, & Technology by Virginia Living
• Liberty was ranked 6 out of 15 in best drone training colleges by SuccessfulStudent.org
• The School of Aeronautics has 32 airplanes and four flight simulators, and 48 flight training affiliates around the country

College of Medicine

• In 2015, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM), in cooperation with Central Virginia Family Physicians (CVFP), opened a community care clinic designed to serve greater Lynchburg, called the Liberty Mountain Medical Group (LMMG)

School of Divinity

• Liberty is ranked no. 3 in Top Graduate Programs in Christian Apologetics

School of Law

• Liberty University School of Law’s 2015-16 Moot Court Team finished its season ranked No. 9 in the nation
• Liberty University School of Law graduates had the highest Virginia Bar Exam pass rate among first-time test takers on the July 2015 Bar Examination
• Liberty Law was ranked as one of the top 20 law schools for public defenders and prosecutors by PreLaw magazine

School of Music

• The School of Music recently became an All-Steinway School. The school purchased 124 new Steinway & Sons pianos, the highest quality pianos made in the world. (2015)
• The Center for Music & Worship was named one of the best worship programs in the country five times by Worship Leader Magazine in their annual list of “Best of the Best.” (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
• Four piano­ majors from the Liberty University School of Music were invited to present at the 2015 Collegiate Piano Pedagogy Conference, a symposium hosted by the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA) at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in January 2015

School of Nursing

• 99% of Liberty nursing students pass their state board exams on the first try and have a 90% job placement rate
• The School of Nursing uses 23 high-fidelity manikins and 5 simulation labs

Faculty

• Dr. Matthew Gage, associate professor and clinical coordinator of the athletic training program in the Department of Allied Health Professions, was elected president-elect of the Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association (VATA). (Jan. 2015)
• Dr. Bruce Kirk, School of Communication and Digital Content, has won 5 Emmys
• Dr. Gary Habermas, School of Divinity, is one of the top experts in the world on the Resurrection of Christ
• Ninety-two percent of Liberty’s graduate faculty hold a terminal degree
• Two hundred and twenty-five faculty members at Liberty have books (or book chapters) published and 1,019 faculty members have scholarly journal articles published
• Liberty’s faculty boasts three Fulbright scholars

Athletics

• 14 Division I Conference All-Sport Awards
• 6 NCAA Division I individual national championships
• 100+ teams with NCAA championships appearances
• 20 teams with fully-funded scholarships
• 8 FCS football championships
• 160+ NCAA Division I conference titles
• Liberty University is the only school to have a hockey team in each division: DI, DII, DIII men’s and DI, DII women’s
• The Liberty Flames Signing Day Special, which was presented by the LFSN “Game On” show, was recognized as an award winner at the 2015 College Sports Media Awards. The 70-minute football signing day special was named the award winner for the Collegiate Athletics portion of the Outstanding Live Studio/Remote Hosted Programming category

Facilities

• According to BestColleges.com, Liberty University has the No. 1 ranked dining hall in the country for the second year running. (2016, 2015)
• According to Niche, Liberty University is among the best campus housing options in the nation, receiving an “A” grade and coming in at No. 16 on the 2015 Best Dorms report (2015) and No. 13 on the Best Campus report
• The Liberty Baseball Stadium, home of Liberty Baseball, has been ranked No. 4 in best college ballpark experiences of 2015 by the Stadium Journey website
• Williams Stadium was named the best college football stadium in the Big South Conference by the FCS (2013)
• Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium has been voted No. 2 among all NCAA softball stadiums in the nation, in a fan poll conducted by FloSoftball.com (2016)