School Davidson College - Davidson - NC

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,700 students located 20 minutes north of Charlotte in Davidson, N.C. Since its establishment in 1837 by Presbyterians, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently regarded as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Through The Davidson Trust, the college became the first liberal arts institution in the nation to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages, giving all students the opportunity to graduate debt-free. Davidson competes in NCAA athletics at the Division I level, and a longstanding Honor Code is central to student life at the college.

Davidson College is located north of Charlotte, North Carolina in the town of Davidson, and today enrolls approximately 1,700 men and women. This historic 450-acre campus is an excellent choice for the student who seeks a vigorous undergraduate education in a residential environment.

Davidson is a national leader on affordability initiatives, with need-blind admission and meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need with a combination of grants and student employment. Davidson was the first liberal arts college to eliminate the loan component in financial aid packages.

Personal relationships with your professors and classes limited to 20 students allow for the development of creative, collaborative relationships resulting in a unique academic experience.

A variety of options and opportunities set Davidson apart including its strong Honor Code, committment to community service and Division I athletics.

Heritage
Davidson College is an institution of higher learning established in 1837 by Presbyterians of North Carolina. Since its founding, the ties that bind the college to its Presbyterian heritage, including the historic understanding of Christian faith called The Reformed Tradition, have remained close and strong. The college is committed to continuing this vital relationship.

As a college that welcomes students, faculty, and staff from a variety of nationalities, ethnic groups, and traditions, Davidson values diversity, recognizing the dignity and worth of every person. Therefore, Davidson provides a range of opportunities for worship, civil debate, and teaching that enrich mind and spirit. Further, Davidson challenges students to engage in service to prepare themselves for lives of growth and giving.

Honor Code
For more than three decades, respect for the Honor Code has permitted Davidson students the unusual freedom of scheduling their own exams and taking them in any classroom of the college’s main academic building—unproctored.

Initiated in 1971, the benefits of self-scheduled exams gives students a significant stake in making sure the Honor Code is maintained throughout the academic year. President Emeritus Samuel Spencer made that point strongly in a 1979 memo, writing, “Because it is a privilege that students prize and want to keep, the self-scheduled exam system injects an element of self-interest which reinforces student support of the Honor Code as a whole… they are an added incentive to reinforcement of the concept of a campus community based on honor.”