History of Liberty University in Timeline

Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, is a private evangelical Christian university founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns. Originally named Lynchburg Baptist College, it has grown to become one of the world's largest Christian universities and one of the largest private non-profit universities in the United States based on student enrollment. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.

September 1984: TRACS Accreditation

In September 1984, Liberty University was accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).

1999: Informal Relationship with Southern Baptist Conservatives

Since 1999, Liberty University has had an informal relationship with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention), with two of its members sitting on the university's board of trustees.

2005: Debate Program Varsity Ranking

In 2005, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program finished 20th in varsity rankings at the National Debate Tournament.

2006: Debate Program Ranking First Overall

In 2006, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program ranked first overall for their division at the National Debate Tournament.

2007: Debate Program Ranking First Overall

In 2007, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program ranked first overall for their division at the National Debate Tournament.

November 6, 2008: Resignation from TRACS Accreditation

On November 6, 2008, Liberty University resigned its accreditation from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS).

2008: Debate Program Varsity Ranking

In 2008, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program finished 12th in varsity rankings at the National Debate Tournament.

2009: Debate Program Ranking First Overall

In 2009, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program ranked first overall for their division at the National Debate Tournament.

2010: Largest Evangelical Christian University

As of 2010, when including online students, Liberty University was the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world.

2010: Debate Program Ranking First Overall

In 2010, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program ranked first overall for their division at the National Debate Tournament.

2010: Law School Accreditation

Since 2010, the Liberty University School of Law has been accredited by the American Bar Association.

2011: Overall Acceptance Rate

In 2011, Liberty University's overall acceptance rate, including online students, was 51 percent. Liberty University Online is an open enrollment institution.

2011: Black Population Percentage

In 2011, Liberty's Black population was 19.9 percent.

2011: Debate Program Ranking First Overall

In 2011, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate program ranked first overall for their division at the National Debate Tournament.

2012: Merger into School of Music

In 2012, the departments of worship and music studies and of music and humanities merged into a school of music, composed of two distinct centers. The School of Music offers 32 bachelor's degrees, 15 master's degrees, and four doctoral degrees.

2013: Largest Private Non-Profit University

As of 2013, Liberty University was the largest private non-profit university in the United States. It is also the 7th-largest four-year university and the largest university in Virginia in terms of combined traditional and distance learning students.

2015: Denial of Discounted Tuition to Same-Sex Spouses of Military Personnel

In 2015, Liberty University denied the discounted tuition to same-sex and trans spouses of military personnel that it offered to heterosexual military couples.

2015: Honor Code Revision

In 2015, Liberty University revised its honor code to allow students to watch R-rated movies and to play video games rated "M".

2015: Formation of the Rawlings School of Divinity

In 2015, the Liberty University Rawlings School of Divinity was formed as a merger of the School of Religion with Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. The school offers a wide range of degrees and includes several centers such as the Center for Apologetics & Cultural Engagement.

2016: Textbook Censorship

In 2016, Liberty University ordered a version of a psychology textbook that omitted sections with LGBTQ+-focused content.

2017: New Center for Law and Government

In 2017, Liberty University announced that its new Center for Law and Government would be led by former U.S. representative Robert Hurt. The center houses the Liberty University School of Law and the Jesse Helms School of Government.

2017: Acquisition of the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER)

In 2017, Liberty University bought The Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) facility in Bedford, Virginia. Liberty's School of Engineering offers degrees in various engineering disciplines and is accredited through ABET.

2017: Curfew Policy Change

In 2017, Liberty University changed its curfew policy to permit students age 20 and over to sign out and stay out past curfew.

2017: Invitation of Ray Rice

In 2017, Liberty University invited Ray Rice, who had been videotaped beating his fiancée three years earlier, to give a lecture on domestic violence.

2017: Debate Team Finished Atop

In 2017, Liberty's Inter-Collegiate policy debate team finished atop the final rankings of all three national debate tournaments for the eighth time, sweeping the American Debate Association, the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA), and the National Debate Tournament (NDT).

2017: Undergraduate Population Demographics

In 2017, including online students, Liberty University's undergraduate population was 51% White, 26.5% race/ethnicity unknown, 15.4% Black or African American, 2.3% two or more races, 1.7% Hispanic/Latino, 1.4% non-resident alien, 0.9% Asian, 0.6% American Indian or Alaskan native, 0.2% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. All 50 states and Washington, D.C., are represented along with 86 countries.

2017: Acceptance Rate for Resident Program

In fall 2017, the acceptance rate for new first-time, full-time students entering Liberty's resident program was 30%.

2018: Law School Employment Rate

In 2018, 82% of Liberty University School of Law's Class of 2018 obtained full-time, bar passage, or JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

2018: High Undergraduate Enrollment

In 2018, Liberty University was among the ten colleges that enrolled the most undergraduates in the fall semester. When including online students, it enrolled the most students of any U.S. university.

2018: "Most Conservative College in America" Ranking

In 2018, Liberty University was ranked as the "Most Conservative College in America" by niche.com.

2018: Rejection of Student Government Resolution

In 2018, Liberty University's administration rejected a resolution from the student government that would have allowed off-campus drinking, "profane language", and the use of tobacco.

2018: School of Aeronautics Enrollment

In 2018, Liberty's School of Aeronautics had more than 1,200 students in-person and online, offering 11 bachelor's degrees in aeronautics. Liberty has worked with American Eagle, Piedmont Airlines, and Wayman Aviation to alleviate their pilot shortages.

2018: Initial Accreditation & First Residency Program

In 2018, the college received initial accreditation from the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA-COCA). Also in 2018, the medical school launched its first residency program, focused on neuromusculoskeletal treatment.

February 2019: Law School Virginia Bar Exam Pass Rate

In February 2019, all of Liberty University School of Law graduates who took the Virginia Bar Exam passed.

2019: Decline in Black Population

In 2019, Liberty University's Black population had declined to 10.4 percent from 19.9 percent in 2011, with a graduation rate of 17% among full-time Black students.

2019: School of Business Building Completion Nearing

In 2019, Liberty University's School of Business was nearing completion of a new 78,000-sq.-ft. building. The school of business is accredited by ACBSP and offers 46 bachelor's, 67 master's, and 14 doctoral degrees.

2019: Experiences of Will Young

In 2019, Will Young, a former editor of the Champion, recalled his experiences with censorship and thought-control at Liberty University in a lengthy Washington Post article.

2019: End of the Lynchburg Torch

In 2019, the Lynchburg Torch, an independent newspaper launched by student journalists frustrated with censorship, ceased operation. It had operated from 2017 to 2019.

2020: School of Behavioral Sciences Dean

As of 2020, the dean of the School of Behavioral Sciences at Liberty University was Kenyon C. Knapp. The school encompasses four departments and offers a variety of degree programs.

2021: Residential Student Body Demographics

As of 2021, the residential student body at Liberty University is 74% White, 5% Latino, 4% Black, 3% two or more races, and 2% Asian or Pacific Islander, less than 1% Native American, and 7% "other". Its male-to-female ratio is 45% to 54%.

2021: LGBTQ+ Restrictions in The Liberty Way

As of the 2021 version of The Liberty Way, the student handbook, "LGBT states of mind" are prohibited for students. Sexual relations are only permitted in a Biblically ordained marriage between a man and a woman, and same-sex relationships are prohibited.

2021: Lawsuit Regarding Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

In 2021, a dozen anonymous women sued Liberty University, charging that it failed to curb domestic violence and sexual assault on campus. A ProPublica investigation revealed an ethos discouraging female students from reporting sexual assault.

2021: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against U.S. Department of Education

In 2021, a former Liberty University student was part of a class action lawsuit filed against the U.S. Department of Education alleging that the institution should not be eligible to receive federal funding because of its discriminatory practices against LGBT students.

2022: School of Education Enrollment

As of 2022 the School of Education enrolled 4,441 students.

2022: Washington Monthly Ranking

In 2022, the Washington Monthly ranked Liberty University 428 out of 442 schools.

2023: Preliminary Report on Concealing Crime and Safety Statistics

According to a preliminary 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Education reviewed by the Washington Post, Liberty University sought for years to conceal campus crime and safety statistics, allegedly violating the Clery Act.

2023: "Most Conservative College in America" Ranking Change

By 2023, Liberty University had been replaced by Brigham Young University as the "Most Conservative College in America" according to niche.com.

2023: Endowment Size

In 2023, Liberty University had an endowment of $1.71 billion, which was the 43rd-largest among U.S. colleges and universities.

2023: U.S. News & World Report Ranking

In 2023, U.S. News & World Report listed Liberty University as 394-to-435th among "National Universities".

March 2024: Fine by U.S. Department of Education

In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Education fined Liberty University $14 million for its treatment of sexual assault survivors and the misclassification or underreporting of crimes. Victims were afraid to report crimes for fear of reprisals or were punished for violating the student code by administrators.

2024: Law School Ranking

In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Liberty University School of Law 140 out of 196 law schools.

2024: Seminary Relaunched

In 2024, the Liberty Theological Seminary, which administers graduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and certificate divinity programs within the Rawlings School, was relaunched.