Gardner-Webb University

Admission to Gardner-Webb University is relatively accessible, though its standing in national rankings has trended downward in recent years. In the 2027 US News rankings, the university stood at rank 365, dropping from rank 230 in 2019. The school accepts a clear majority of its applicant pool, recording an acceptance rate of 77.2% in 2025. However, Gardner-Webb experiences difficulty in drawing accepted students to campus. Its yield rate reached 11.2% that same year, a mark that was higher than 26% of similar private national universities. For families planning a college list, these trends demonstrate that while securing an offer of admission is manageable, the institution is selected by only a small portion of the students it admits. Prospective applicants facing this admissions landscape can expect low selective pressure, though matriculation patterns indicate that many admitted students evaluate other possibilities before enrolling.

Applicants evaluating Gardner-Webb University encounter standardized testing profiles that align with moderate academic benchmarks. For the class entering in 2025, the institution recorded a median SAT score of 1085, which was higher than 33% of similar private national universities. Among students submitting the ACT, the middle range of composite scores spanned between 19 and 25. These standardized testing bands indicate that incoming students generally present solid mid-tier high school academic performance rather than highly competitive test credentials. For prospective families assessing academic readiness, targeting standardized marks within or exceeding these established score bands establishes a solid academic fit for admission. Preparing an application with performance around these midpoint benchmarks places candidates well in line with the typical qualifications seen across Gardner-Webb's admitted cohort.

Academic programs at Gardner-Webb University center primarily on professional career preparation in healthcare, education, and business. Undergraduate degree conferrals show moderate concentration, with the top three bachelor's majors accounting for 35.2% of all graduating seniors in 2025. Registered Nursing represents the largest undergraduate program by conferrals, graduating 73 students that year, followed by Elementary Education and Teaching, and Community Psychology. The university's largest undergraduate fields do not hold elite national positions; in US News rankings, the undergraduate nursing program stood at rank 394 in 2027, while the graduate Physician Assistant program was positioned at rank 183 in 2025. Financially, healthcare training yields substantial initial returns. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in Registered Nursing and related clinical nursing fields achieved median earnings of $81,099 one year after graduation. Furthermore, international students represented 0% of graduates across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels in 2025, underscoring a student body that is overwhelmingly domestic.

Gardner-Webb University enrolled a total of 3,104 students in 2025, creating an environment divided between campus undergraduates and a substantial graduate population. Graduate students represented 40% of the overall student body, while the undergraduate population comprised first-time freshmen, continuing students, and transfer students. Across all educational levels, female students make up the majority of enrollment. Domestic diversity is headlined by White and Black students, along with Pacific Islander and other domestic groups. In contrast, Asian and international student representations remain extremely small. Across all undergraduate and graduate divisions combined, the university enrolled just 40 Asian students, accounting for less than two percent of any individual cohort. International enrollment was even more limited, with only 2 international students recorded across the entire campus in 2025, both studying at the continuing undergraduate level.

The student population at Gardner-Webb University exhibits a clear generational divide between undergraduate and graduate divisions. In 2025, the 1,861 undergraduates were overwhelmingly of traditional college age, led by students aged 20 to 21, who accounted for 31.8% of the undergraduate total, followed closely by those aged 18 to 19. This traditional age profile supports standard undergraduate residential and campus activity. Conversely, the 1,243 graduate students are largely seasoned working professionals. The single largest graduate age cohort was students aged 40 to 49, representing 27.4% of all advanced degree seekers, with substantial numbers also in their fifties. This pronounced age split means undergraduate life centers on young adults, while graduate programs serve mature adults balancing study with careers.

International student enrollment at Gardner-Webb University is exceptionally sparse and has contracted steadily over the past decade. In 2025, the university enrolled just 2 international undergraduate students, representing 0.1% of the total undergraduate population. This small proportion is higher than 13% of similar private national universities, where the peer median stood higher. At the graduate level, the downward trend culminated in zero international students enrolled in 2025, down from previous years. Consequently, international students accounted for 0% of all bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree recipients in 2025. In the school's primary fields of study—such as nursing, educational administration, and business management—there were no international graduates recorded. For prospective international students, these figures highlight that the campus community is almost entirely domestic, lacking an established international student presence across both undergraduate classrooms and graduate degree tracks.

Families exploring colleges near Boiling Springs, North Carolina, can evaluate several distinct institutional types in the surrounding region. Located 24.9 kilometers away in South Carolina, Wofford College is a private liberal arts college ranked 68 on the 2027 US News Liberal Arts Colleges ranking list. Further south, Furman University sits 49 kilometers from campus and holds rank 57 among national liberal arts colleges. In North Carolina, Davidson College is located 49.6 kilometers away and ranked 16 on the national liberal arts list. For applicants seeking a large public research setting, University of North Carolina at Charlotte is 53 kilometers away, ranked 169 among national universities in 2027. These neighboring institutions provide contrasting campus settings within an hour's drive.

Campus safety records at Gardner-Webb University indicate that student misconduct is dominated by substance-related disciplinary violations rather than violent criminal activity. In 2025, the school recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 11.6. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the overwhelming majority of reported incidents involved campus liquor law violations, which resulted in 369 disciplinary referrals. Drug violations constituted the second most common issue, totaling 41 disciplinary referrals across those same years. Serious property crimes and violent offenses were rarely documented on campus grounds, with thefts and arrests remaining in the low single digits from 2023 to 2025. These records show that while university officials actively enforce campus alcohol and substance policies, the physical environment remains free from frequent severe crime, providing a relatively quiet and orderly setting for enrolled students.