Emory & Henry University

Life on the Emory, Virginia campus is defined by its tight-knit, all-in-one-place community. With over 80—and as many as 85—student clubs and organizations, local Greek life, student government, and active campus media, there are myriad ways to get involved. The small size means students quickly get to know each other in common spaces like the gym, classrooms, tutor center, library, and cafeteria. A significant point of pride is campus safety; Emory & Henry has been ranked as one of the safest institutions of higher learning in the nation. This combination of active involvement and security fosters a distinctive, caring, and engaged community.

Graduation rates are an area of focus, with the university using the federal IPEDS six-year rate to monitor student achievement. Outcomes for graduates show strong placement into next steps. Notably, 96% of the Class of 2024 were either employed or accepted into graduate school within six months of graduation. For alumni further out, earnings grow: graduates from 2001-02 had a median wage of $58,997 twenty years after graduation, though only 46% of that cohort had wages reported. The median salary six years after graduation is reported as $39,448.

Emory & Henry has taken a significant step to address cost, lowering annual undergraduate tuition to $19,990 for new and returning students beginning in Fall 2026. The university offers a range of financial support, including renewable merit scholarships from $1,000 to $5,000 per year, plus additional need-based aid. The primary goal of its financial aid program is to assist students in obtaining the necessary funds to attend. Many aid programs require a student to demonstrate financial need, though there are also loan programs that do not use need as a determining factor. Students are encouraged to use the Net Price Calculator to estimate their individual costs.

Emory & Henry carves out a distinctive niche by pairing the accessibility of a high acceptance rate with a student experience that, according to the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), rates well above the national average for four-year institutions. It's a rare combination that suggests students who choose E&H find a supportive and engaging environment that exceeds expectations. The recent pivot to university status, while remaining rooted in the liberal arts, shows an institution thoughtfully evolving. Its crowning features are a profoundly safe campus community and a 100% service participation rate that grounds the academic mission in real-world engagement, creating graduates who are not just educated, but civically minded.