Welcome Week kicked off the 2025-2026 academic year with festivities across campus and culminating in the Big Welcome Event this pastā€ÆSaturday at the Athletic Campus.Ģż

The Big Welcome event was a time to enjoy a variety of games, live music, refreshments and tasty treats. It was also a time to cheer on the Trojans Menā€™s Soccer Team during a scrimmage against the South Carolina United Heat.ĢżĢż

For the finale of the Big Welcome Event, fireworks lit up the night over Spero Financial Field and the Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium with an unforgettable professional fireworks show.Ģż

Welcome Week celebrated new Trojans with moving ceremonies. There was a time of worship and encouragement with speaker Dr. Clayton King; also Matriculation and the Archway Walk. Trojan Tradition, a ceremony on Alumni Lawn, marks new beginnings as upperclassmen pass the torch to first year students.ĢżĢż

Welcome Week festivities included the Expo, which connected students with student organizations, local churches, businesses, nonprofits and other resources. There was a lot to celebrate, as students flocked to the big Block Party, featuring live music, food trucks and an overall fun gathering.ĢżĢż

ĢżOther fun Welcome Week gatherings included Silent Disco, West Fest and Beach Bash. Athletics included a scrimmage pitting Anderson Womenā€™s Soccer Team against the visiting North Greenville team at Spero Financial Field.Ģż

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A record 9,000 students made application for entry into this year’s class, an indication of the competitive nature of Anderson’s admission today.

Categorized as a “more selective” institution by US News & World Report, ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” continues its decadeslong growth amid new headwinds facing higher education today. All told, 920 new undergraduate students make up the ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” Class of 2029, which includes 809 freshmen and 111 transfers.

Of those:

• 74% of students live in South Carolina, with another 26% from out of state
• Students of color in the incoming class reached a record-high of 20%
• Incoming students arrive at AU with an average GPA of 4.37; an SAT average of above 1200 and an ACT average of 25

Anderson offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Popular undergraduate majors remain engineering, nursing and other health professions, business and economics, cybersecurity, teacher education, natural sciences, pre-law, pre-medicine, theology and ministry, the arts, and architectural interior design.

Of note, Anderson’s cybersecurity program ranks 6th in the nation and the University places growing numbers of its graduates from all fields in competitive graduate schools including law and medicine.

In addition to Wednesdayā€™s first day of classes, notable dates taking place in the coming days and weeks include

• The Big Welcome Fireworks Event on Saturday, August 23 at 5 p.m., taking place at Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium.
• Opening Convocation on Wednesday, September 3
• Season-opening home football game on Saturday, September 6
• Homecoming and Family Day on Saturday, October 4

Other news in case you missed it:

ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” Announces Retirement of Longtime Enrollment Leader Pam Ross; Senior Vice Presidents for Enrollment Management Dr. William Monts and Mike Sapienza to take over Rossā€™s portfolio

ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” is a ā€œmore selective,ā€ comprehensive Christian university offering bachelorā€™s, masterā€™s and doctoral degrees on campus and online. It is South Carolinaā€™s largest private university. ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” is the #2 private university in South Carolina, according toĢżNiche.com, is among U.S. News and World Reportā€™s ā€œBest Regional Universities South,ā€ and is on the publicationā€™s ā€œBest Value,ā€ ā€œBest Schools for Veterans,ā€ ā€œBest First-Year Experienceā€ and ā€œBest Online Programsā€ lists. Anderson is a five-time Apple Distinguished School and on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work ForĀ® program.Ģż

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Overall, ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” now ranks #34 among Regional Universities-South, an increase of seven places compared to last year. In addition, AU returned to U.S. News & World Reportā€™s list of national universities with the ā€œBest First-Year Experience,ā€ coming in at #41 among all colleges and universities in the United States.

Also among Regional Universities-South, AU ranks #14 in the ā€œBest Colleges for Veteransā€ category and #32 in the ā€œBest Value Schoolsā€ category, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The publicationā€™s annual Best Colleges rankings come as more than 4,600 students enrolled at ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” this fall. It is the largest student body in the Universityā€™s 113-year history. AU remains the largest private university in South Carolina.

ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” is a ā€œmore selective,ā€ comprehensive Christian university offering bachelorā€™s, masterā€™s and doctoral degrees on campus and online. ĪēŅ¹¾ē³” is the #2 private university in South Carolina, according to Niche.com, is among U.S. News and World Reportā€™s ā€œBest Regional Universities South,ā€ and is on the publicationā€™s ā€œBest Value,ā€ ā€œBest Schools for Veterans,ā€ ā€œBest First-Year Experienceā€ and ā€œBest Online Programsā€ lists. Anderson is a five-time Apple Distinguished School and on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work ForĀ® program.

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