Liberty University campus (photo by Leah Seavers/Liberty University)
Liberty University is a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is one of the largest evangelical Christian universities in the world and one of the largest private non-profit universities in the United States, measured by student enrollment. Since 1992, Liberty’s enrollment has increased from 8,500 to over 100,000!
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University has been “Training Champions for Christ” since 1971. Liberty equips students with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow’s world, while remaining committed to Christian principles, socio-political conservatism, and the integration of science and faith.
Do you know that Liberty University is a coronavirus success story?
After closing temporarily in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, when Liberty University re-opened its campus they were criticized for it. The media essentially accused Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. of risking mass murder by welcoming some students back from spring break in March.
The New York Times headline on March 29 was “Liberty University Brings Back Its Students, and Coronavirus, Too.” On March 30, The Washington Post ran an editorial, “Irresponsible decisions like Jerry Falwell Jr.’s put untold numbers of people at risk.”
However, the university had no massive number of cases. In fact, they did not have a single on-campus case. Not one! Only one student tested positive, and he was living off-campus. Jerry Falwell Jr. is happy to tell others how they did it.
Falwell welcomed back to the dorms those students who would have put themselves more at risk by traveling, especially those from overseas. The college followed strict health guidelines such as social distancing, and recommended that students use online programs. Most students actually stayed home.
In a Washington Times article titled “Liberal Media Gets it Wrong Again About Liberty University,” columnist Robert Knight wrote: “Several other universities, including Rutgers, Pepperdine, Valencia and Texas A&M, introduced similar policies, but only Liberty was singled out for a press whipping.”
Why??? Here is Knight’s analysis…
The media have hated the college since 1971, when Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell Sr. established it to give Christians an alternative to “mainstream” academia. The sad truth is that most colleges have morphed into Marxist hothouses where U.S. history courses have given way to transgender studies, multiculturalism and identity politics, and where students learn to despise their country.
Liberty offers a traditional curriculum, attracting students from all over the United States and abroad, making it one of the largest private universities in America. With 15,000 students on campus and 100,000 students online, Jerry Falwell’s dream has become a nightmare for the progressive left.
Added to the mix is Jerry Falwell Jr.’s outspoken support of President Trump, before and after his election. Mr. Trump was Liberty’s commencement speaker in 2017.
So when you hear anyone bashing Liberty University, take it with a grain of salt. Liberty is well-respected for its academics, and regularly recognized for its exceptional campus atmosphere and student life.
Generating over $1 billion in economic activity per year, Liberty University plays an active and positive leadership role within its community and the state, evidenced by a recent economic impact report from Mangum Economics.
The university’s contribution to the region includes nearly $3 million worth of volunteer service hours. Liberty has also enhanced local economic revitalization efforts, most recently with its purchase and planned redesign of the River Ridge Mall and numerous other commercial properties in the Lynchburg area.
Liberty University’s academic facilities are state-of-the-art, having undergone substantial renovations and improvements with the opening of Freedom Tower, the addition of the new Jerry Falwell Library, and other new academic department buildings. With a number of attractions and recreational facilities that are open to the public, the report said Liberty “has enhanced the quality of life within the Lynchburg MSA” (Metropolitan Statistical Area).
Liberty challenges students to not only engage their minds and spirits, but their bodies as well. Liberty has outstanding recreational resources and facilities that complement our extensive sports program, which includes 20 NCAA Division I Athletics teams, 31 club sports teams, and an exciting intramural sports program.
Liberty Among Top 5 Homeschool-Friendly Colleges
Liberty University has been ranked among the top five homeschool-friendly colleges in the nation by TheBestSchools.org. In its review, the site said that “Liberty will strike some prospects as too partisan since it is markedly Southern Baptist and unabashedly Republican. But the school’s size and range of faculty enables some diversity of views along with other hard-to-find options like degrees in law, cinema, and aeronautics.” The ranking site recognized Liberty’s “forward-looking online and distance education,” which make Liberty “one of the most flexible and accessible options for homeschoolers.” The site also noted that “Conservative Christian schools tend to be notoriously weak in the sciences, but Liberty offers an array of degrees to suit the science-minded student. Though fundamentalist in many respects, Liberty is culturally conscious, having an impressive philosophy and apologetics programs aimed at engaging the big ideas directing society.”
Homeschool Admissions
Applying to Liberty University is a simple four-step process, with specific requirements for the documentation to be submitted by homeschool students. For acceptance, they basically just need your transcripts from 9th-12th grade. By using Liberty’s sample transcript as a guide, it will be easy to create your homeschool transcript. It should include a signed statement by your parent or guardian verifying that you have completed the equivalent to a secondary education according to state standards. The high school transcript requirement will be waived if you took community college classes and earned an associate degree. As with any college, Liberty recommends at least 4 years of English, 2 years if college prep math, 2 years of lab science, 2 years of social science, 2 years of foreign language, and at least 4 units of elective credits in subjects such as art, music, or drama.
As a homeschool student, Liberty gives you the option to customize your college career to fit your needs, with several options available to you and your family. And with more than 550 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level, Liberty University has something for you!