Davidson College
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was founded in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and is named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson. It offers a four-year undergraduate education with about 2,000 students from around the world.
Most students live on campus, and many study abroad. Davidson offers 37 majors and 39 minors, plus interdisciplinary programs and the option to design a personalized major through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. The college operates under an Honor Code, with self-scheduled, unproctored exams and strong commitments to integrity.
The campus includes a 665-acre main campus and a 110-acre Lake Campus on Lake Norman. Davidson has an endowment of about $1.4 billion (2024) and provides need-based aid that covers 100% of demonstrated need. The college eliminated all student loans in 2007 and uses grants, student employment, and family contributions to meet aid needs. Admissions are selective, and the student-faculty ratio is about 8:1, with most faculty holding PhDs.
Athletics: the Wildcats compete in NCAA Division I, mostly in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Football plays in the Pioneer Football League and wrestling competes in the Southern Conference. About a quarter of students participate in varsity sports.
Campus life: there are more than 150 student organizations. Fraternities and eating houses are organized in Patterson Court. The Farm at Davidson grows produce for Dining Services. The college has hosted Royal Shakespeare Company residencies and other arts programs.
Publications include Quips & Cranks (yearbook) and The Davidsonian (newspaper). Davidson has produced Rhodes Scholars and many Fulbright recipients, and it is often ranked highly among liberal arts colleges.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:04 (CET).