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Appalachian State University (ASU), located in Boone, North Carolina is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university. One of sixteen universities in the University of North Carolina System, the school was originally founded as the Watauga Academy in 1899 and has since become the sixth largest institution in the NC system. The school’s 1,200 acre campus is nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains and has one of the highest elevations of any university east of the Mississippi River. A national leader in the area of sustainability, ASU is an active steward of North Carolina’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and is committed to energy efficiency and economic viability.
Academic Programs
Accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1949, ASU offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors and a Doctorate of Education. Programs are offered through the university’s several undergraduate colleges, music school and graduate school, which include the College of Arts and Sciences; College of Fine and Applied Arts; Reich College of Education; Walker College of Business; Hayes School of Music; Beaver College of Health Sciences; and the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies. In addition to traditional undergraduate and graduate programs, ASU also offers a “4+1” accelerated admissions program which allows seniors to enroll in graduate courses, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees in about five years.ASU boasts a low student-to-faculty ratio and the vast majority of the school’s fulltime faculty hold doctorate or terminal degrees. A spirit of inclusion is promoted across the campus and undergraduate research projects are highly encouraged, with professors and students working together.
Student Life
More than 18,000 students are enrolled at Appalachian State University, including over 16,000 undergraduates, making up a student body that is filled with and promotes diversity. Approximately 20 residence halls providing housing for ASU’s resident-students and the campus offers three main dining facilities. More than 300 student-led clubs and organizations exist for both undergraduate and graduate students, catering to a wide variety of interests, passions, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.ASU’s campus features nearly a dozen recreational and athletic facilities and students stay active in more than 80 intramural sports and approximately 20 club sports. ASU’s varsity sports teams compete at the NCAA Division I-A level and the school is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Nicknamed the Mountaineers, ASU boasts varsity teams in approximately 20 sports, split evenly between men’s and women’s teams, including men’s and women’s track and field, football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s baseball, women’s field hockey, and men’s wrestling.