Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening acces putation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. App State was founded in 1899. The pioneering spirit necessary to overcome the mountains’ hardships quickly characterized the institution, giving App State a special niche in higher education that continues today. After more than a century, students still feel the pull of this unique place to transform their lives, and App State has remained focused on providing students with educational experiences that are not only life-changing but world-changing. App State aspires to be the destination institution for dedicated students who seek challenging academic programs and cocurricular experiences, engaged faculty and a vibrant campus culture that will shape them into engaged, responsible global citizens. Inspired by the ideal of sustainable community, we seek to deliver the Southeast’s best comprehensive, progressive education. Appalachian State University celebrates 125 years of educational leadership in 2024. Founded in 1899 as Watauga Academy, App State has developed into a premier public institution — one that honors our founding commitment to educational access and excellence and our rural mountain heritage through teaching, research and service. Brothers Blanford Barnard “B.B.” Dougherty and Dauphin Disco “D.D.” Dougherty, along with D.D.’s wife, Lillie Shull Dougherty, established Watauga Academy with a goal of providing access to education for those in the isolated and rural “Lost Provinces” of Western North Carolina. Their vision continues to thrive more than a century later, with generations of Mountaineers across the state, nation and world standing as testament to the power of education to change both lives and communities. What started as a small rural academy quickly evolved into the Appalachian Training School (1903), then the Appalachian State Normal School (1925), and later the Appalachian State Teachers College (1929). In 1967, we became the comprehensive, four-year university we are today, and the university became part of the University of North Carolina System in 1971. Our more than 150 undergraduate degree and 80 graduate degree/certificate programs prepare students for leadership roles across various fields, from business and education, to health sciences and sustainable technology. The university continues to innovate new degree programs that are aligned with the workforce development needs of the state’s industries and prepare students to excel in their future careers. The opening of our second campus, the App State Hickory campus, in fall 2023 marked a new chapter in our mission to increase access to higher education. Prior to the campus’s establishment, the Greater Hickory area was the largest metropolitan area in the state without a public university campus. App State has also partnered with ed tech nonprofit Project Kitty Hawk to offer streamlined App State Online degree programs designed for nontraditional learners — part of a statewide effort to expand higher education access to millions of working adults in North Carolina. Since becoming a four-year university, App State has earned regional and national recognition for its quality academics, innovative teaching, support for military-affiliated students and transfer students, programs to enhance the first-year experience and other aspects, lauded by such publications as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Forbes magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, our athletics programs have reached new heights, with our App State Mountaineers football team capturing national attention through stunning victories in the Southern and Sun Belt conferences and our student-athletes maintaining academic excellence, having earned a cumulative GPA above 3.0 for 12 consecutive years. Our Mission Appalachian State University, a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System sustained by the generous support of North Carolinians, is a long-established public institution that honors our founding commitment to educational access and excellence and our rural mountain heritage through teaching, research and service. The university’s vibrant culture shapes students into globally minded, responsible members of society who engage with and actively contribute to their communities. Our exemplary faculty and staff prepare students in bachelor’s, master’s and professional doctoral programs to be the leaders of the future. Our Vision Appalachian State University aspires to strengthen its role as a leading public institution in the Southeast. We commit to empowering learners through innovative academic programs accompanied by experiences that take place beyond the classroom, access and excellence in all our activities, and the cultivation of scholarship, engagement and creativity. Our Essential Character and Core Values Founded in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1899 to provide North Carolinians expanded access to education, Appalachian State University is located in a place of great beauty, cultural heritage and recreational opportunity. App State’s core values include: Faculty excellence in teaching and all forms of scholarship. Student success. Sustainability and resilience. Public service and engagement with community. Global perspective. Our Statement of Sustainability Sustainability at Appalachian State University is not a trend, it is a tradition. We are active stewards of our state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources. Through engaged scholarship, we balance critical, creative and global thinking in a living laboratory, transforming theory into practice and fostering responsible citizenship. ...view more