Berea College
Berea, KY101 Chestnut Street, Berea, KY 40404-2182
859-985-3000
Berea College is a private, liberal arts college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. It admits only students with limited financial means and awards them all four-year, full-tuition scholarships. The college requires its students to work at least 10 hours per week in jobs on campus or in the local community. Berea College is one of eight federally recognized Work Colleges, and it is the only one in the Southern United States. Berea College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
In 1855, Berea College was founded by John Fee and other abolitionists from Madison County, Kentucky. The college was named after the Biblical Berea. Fee and the other founders were strongly committed to education for all people, regardless of race or gender. They believed that education could be used to overcome the economic and social barriers that divided the country.
Berea College was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. It admitted students of all races and genders from its inception. The college was also committed to providing an affordable education. It offered full-tuition scholarships to all students, regardless of their financial means.
The college required its students to work at least 10 hours per week in jobs on campus or in the local community. The work program was designed to help students cover the cost of their education and to instill a work ethic in them.
Berea College has a long history of social activism. Its students and faculty have been involved in the Civil Rights Movement, the Labor Movement, and the Women's Rights Movement. The college has also been a leader in environmental sustainability.
Berea College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is ranked as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 1432
Acceptance Rate: 32.96%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.berea.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.berea.edu/student-financial-aid/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $55656
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $55656
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Berea College is $175090.27. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Berea College. For graduates of Berea College, we saw an average early-career income of $45100.00 and mid-career income of $74000.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.