Wofford College Fast Facts

Wofford College, established in 1854, is an independent liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, S.C. It offers bachelor’s degrees in 26 major fields of study and is well known for its programs leading to graduate and professional studies (medicine and other health professions, law and the ministry). Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college is committed to quintessential undergraduate education within the context of values-based inquiry.

Campus and History: Operating continuously on its original campus in the City of Spartanburg, Wofford is listed as a National Historic District. The campus now consists of 67 buildings on 170 maintained acres and has been designated as “the Roger Milliken Arboretum.” In the summer, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers conduct their training camps at Wofford.  Operating continuously on its original campus in the City of Spartanburg, Wofford is listed as a National Historic District. The campus now consists of 67 buildings on 170 maintained acres and has been designated as “the Roger Milliken Arboretum.” In the summer, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers conduct their training camps at Wofford.
“College Town”: Located at the Junction of I-85 and I-26 in the South Carolina Upstate, Spartanburg is convenient to the mountains and the beach, and close to both Charlotte and Atlanta. The GSP International Airport is only a few miles west of the city. Major corporate citizens of Spartanburg County (pop. 250,000) include BMW, QS-1, Milliken & Company, Adidas, and Denny’s Restaurants. Home to six diverse higher education institutions, Spartanburg has the highest number of college students per capita of any major city in South Carolina.

Accreditation: Wofford is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia. 30033-4097) to offer the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Wofford was one of nine colleges that met in 1895 to organize SACS.

Phi Beta Kappa: Beta chapter of South Carolina (1941). As a Phi Beta Kappa campus, Wofford offers a culture of academic challenge and support that consistently produces some of the most influential graduates in the country today.

President: Dr. Benjamin Bernard Dunlap (the college’s 10th president, serving since 2000).

Trustees: 31 trustees serve as the governing body of the college under the terms of the will of the Rev. Benjamin Wofford. For more information, contact David M. Beacham, vice president for administration.

Alumni Giving: 37 percent

Faculty, Fall 2008: 118 full-time teaching faculty, 93 percent of whom have earned a doctorate or equivalent terminal degree. FTE faculty to student ratio: 1 to 11

Student Body, Fall 2008: 1,389 on-campus headcount enrollment; (52 percent men and 48 percent women; 13 percent minorities; 60 percent from South Carolina). Freshman to sophomore retention (Class of 2011), 90.9 percent Six-Year graduation rate (Class of 2007), 80 percent

First-year student profile, Fall 2008: SAT range, 1140-1330 (mid 50 percent of the class) High school class rank, top 10 percent: 56 percent Applicants: 2,278; Admitted, 1,342; Enrolled, 415

Resident Student Comprehensive Fee (2009-2010), $38,760 for boarding students; 90 percent of the students receive some type of support through the financial aid office.

Academics: The Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science is offered in 26 majors, including the new Environmental Studies degree program. Minors are offered in some departments. There are 21 other academic programs that lead to certifications or admission to post-graduate professional schools.

Academic Calendar: 4-1-4 (two semesters and a January Interim).

Library: The 2008-2009 collection of the Sandor Teszler Library includes 360,434 items

Studies Abroad: The Open Doors 2008 survey ranked Wofford in the top five nationally in its classification.
  • 112 students studied abroad for a semester or longer during 2008-09.
  • 52 percent of the students specialized in foreign languages
  • 26 percent of the students studied foreign languages not taught at Wofford
  • 23 percent of the students who studied abroad for a semester studied in Latin America, beating the national average.
  • 27 percent of the students who studied abroad for a semester were science, math or computer science majors.
  • 40 percent of the student selected less commonly chosen destinations and spent a semester in the developing world.
  • According to the Lincoln Commission, approximately 9 percent of undergraduates in the United States study abroad. Wofford earned national attention for the 2008 Open Doors survey results as more than 80 percent earned academic credit overseas.