About LVC

This is an exciting time as Lebanon Valley College celebrates its 150th anniversary. From a recently completed strategic plan, Envision 2020, to a soon-to-launch campus master plan, One Campus, LVC is on the rise.

A recent $10 million gift to help build a new $20 million Health Professions Building and the addition of several new majors - analytical finance, athletic training, communication sciences and disorders, exercise science, four-year bachelors/MBA, international business, and speech-language pathology - are just some highlights. There are also revitalizations of academic, athletic, social, and residential facilities, as well as a major renaissance of the library and campus landscape underway.

The College offers highly competitive and in-demand academic programs that are attractive to students and future employers.

We are committed as a community to Inclusive Excellence. As such, the College affirms the values by which we seek to live and address the needs of our students and community. We strive to sustain our core values of understanding, inclusiveness, civility, diversity, and service to others. Our mission derives from these values.


MISSION
Lebanon Valley College delivers a transformative education built on the liberal arts. We develop students who think critically and creatively across boundaries; who solve complex problems; who communicate effectively; and who value differences among human beings. Our graduates are empowered to pursue a life of learning, citizenship, and success.

Founded: 1866, as a private coeducational institution on the site of the Annville Academy. Lebanon Valley College became a four-year institution by 1883 as the lower grades were phased out.


ACADEMICS
Curriculum: A four-year program of study in the liberal arts with an academic year comprised of fall and spring semesters and an optional summer term. The master of athletic training is a five-year program, and the doctor of physical therapy is a six-year program.

Degrees Granted: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology, Master of Athletic Training, Master of Business Administration, Master of Music Education, Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, Master of Science Education, Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Major Fields of Study: accounting, actuarial science, analytical finance (new major, description to come), American studies, applied history, art & visual culture, athletic training, audio & music production, biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, business administration, business administration/MBA (four years, new major), chemistry, communication sciences & disorders (new major), computer & data science, criminal justice, digital communications, economics, education, English, exercise science, French, German, global studies, health care management, historical communications, history, international business, mathematics, medical technology, music, music business, music education, neuroscience, philosophy, physical therapy, physics, politics,  psychology, religion, self-designed, sociology, Spanish, speech-language pathology (new major).

Study Abroad: Semester-long programs are available abroad in Argentina, Australia, China, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Spain. Faculty-led, short-term, study-abroad programs are also offered each year throughout the world. Off-campus programs are available in Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.

Special Programs: In cooperation with Case Western University and Penn State University; engineering; in cooperation with approved hospitals: medical technology.

Special Options: departmental honors, double majors, independent study, self-designed majors, internships, tutorial study, study abroad, Philadelphia and Washington semester programs.

View the College Catalog 


SIZE
Founded in 1866, today the College has 1,608 full-time undergraduate students, 113 part-time undergraduates, 197 graduate students, and 108 full-time faculty. We feel more like a large welcoming family than an impersonal institution.

Student-Faculty Ratio: 11:1 FTE, with an average class size of 20.


CAMPUS
Lebanon Valley College is located on 357 beautiful rural acres in the town of Annville, Pennsylvania, just eight miles east of Hershey. Twenty-seven residence halls house students in traditional dormitories, suites, and apartment-style facilities. Our library contains more than 216,000 physical items and our science facilities are state-of-the-art.

Location: Annville, founded in 1799, is a small town of approximately 5,000 people located in south central Pennsylvania. Driving times: Hershey, 10 minutes; Harrisburg, 1/2 hour; Baltimore, 2 hours; Philadelphia, 2 hours; New York, 3 hours; Washington, D.C., 3 hours. More About the Surrounding Area >> 

Virtual Tour | Campus Map | Directions & Parking


SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
We award generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement. It's that simple. We seek the best students and recognize their hard work with scholarships.

Student Financial Aid: Overall, 98 percent of LVC students receive some form of financial assistance from the College. In 2014-2015, the College committed $28,533,870 to merit- and need-based aid. The average academic scholarship package totaled $14,123. 

COLLEGIATE RANKING
U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges" issue and guidebook has ranked LVC number three in the North in the 'Great Schools, Great Prices' category among 'Best Baccalaureate Colleges.' Also, LVC was again recognized by The Princeton Review as "A Best in the Northeast" college and Forbes named us on its list of "America's Top Colleges." More information>>

FOUR YEAR GRADUATION GUARANTEE
LVC guarantees that you will earn an undergraduate degree in four years of full-time study, or we will provide free tuition for additional courses. More information >>

ACCREDITORS 
LVC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, 2nd Floor West, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104; telephone: 267-284-5000. 

LVC is also approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The following programs have been granted specialized accreditation: The Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; accounting, business, and economics programs by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs; music programs by the National Association of Schools of Music; and chemistry programs by the American Chemistry Society.

LVC is on the approved list of the Regents of the State University of New York and of the American Association of University Women.

LVC is a member of the following: American Association of Colleges; National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; Pennsylvania Foundation for Independent Colleges; College Entrance Examination Board; College Scholarship Service; Council of Independent Colleges; National Collegiate Athletic Association; Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference; and the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
  
 
RETENTION & GRADUATION RATES
82% of the 2015 cohort of full-time, first time bachelor’s degree seekers returned for 2016. This ranks LVC among the top three percent for average freshman retention rate among our 363 regional institutions in U.S. News and World Report's 2016 "America's Best Colleges."

With LVC’s commitment to guidance and support 69% of LVC students graduate in four years, as compared to the graduation rate across the Pennsylvania State System of 37%. This ranks LVC among the top one percent for average graduation rate among our 363 regional institutions in U.S. News and World Report's 2016 "America's Best Colleges."

76.1% of the 2010 cohort completed degrees within a 6-year period.
6-Year Graduation Rates/2010 cohort:
   Number  Percentage
 Male  162/216  75.0%
 Female  188/244  77.0%

   Number  Percentage
American/Alaska Native  1/1  100.0%
Asian  4/4  100.0%
Black/African American  6/8  75%
Hispanic  11/19  57.9%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander  n/a  n/a
White  310/405  76.5%
Two or more races  3/6  50.0%
Unknown  15/17  88.2%
International  n/a n/a

Students entering with a Pell grant 63.4%
Students entering with a Stafford but not a Pell grant 79.8%
Students who entered with neither a Stafford nor a Pell 82.8%


METHODIST HERITAGE
Lebanon Valley College and the United Methodist Church  

The College was founded in 1866 through a resolution of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The United Methodist Church has long incorporated the religious and the liberal arts into their tradition of higher education in the United States. The United Methodist Church is committed to value-centered inquiry, critical thinking, and a liberal arts curriculum. United Methodist-related colleges respect and support the religious practices of its members and are concerned with global issues.

The value Lebanon Valley College places on its historic relationship and current affiliation with the United Methodist Church is evident in many current College traditions and events. This historic relationship is also clearly noted in the College’s mission states, which notes that LVC’s mission “arises directly from its historical traditions and a relationship with the United Methodist Church.”

Statement of Church Relatedness | UMC


STUDENT CONSUMER INFORMATION
LVC complies with the requirements of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) and makes a wealth of information available to current and prospective students and their families. Visit our student consumer information website for a list of the information available.