Averett University

Averett University is a private Baptist university in Danville, Virginia. Founded in 1859 as a women's college, Averett became a 4-year, coeducational institution in 1969. In 2011, the university restored its Baptist affiliation, renewing a relationship that had existed from Averett's founding until 2005.

History
The school was chartered in 1859 as Union Female College and became affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in 1910. The school's name was changed to Averett College and received accreditation as a junior college in 1917. Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools followed in 1928. Averett became a coeducational four-year college in 1969 and offered its first graduate programs in the 1980s. The school changed its name to Averett University in 2001.

In 2005, the Baptist General Association of Virginia dissolved their ties with Averett after the university abandoned Baptist positions on homosexuality. In November 2011, the Baptist General Association of Virginia voted to restore the association's relationship with Averett University.

Academics
Averett University offers associate and bachelor's degree programs in approximately 30 majors. There are also two master's degree programs available: a Master of Education degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1.

Undergraduate admissions
In 2023, the university accepted 76% of applicants, with those admitted having an average 3.07 GPA. Averett University is standardized test optional and applicants do not have to submit either SAT or ACT scores. Of applicants, only 3%–4% submitted scores.

Flight School
Averett University has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Management degree with two concentration options: Aviation Business and Flight Operations. Also available is a joint Aerospace Management/Criminal Justice bachelors degree. The university has a FAA-approved Part 141 Pilot School with flight operations conducted out of the Danville Regional Airport (KDAN) that is close to campus.

Rankings
For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Averett University #15 out of 132 Regional Universities South, #12 in Best Value Schools, and #31 in Top Performers on Social Mobility.

Campus
Averett's main campus is a 19 acre campus on West Main Street in Danville. The 70 acre North Campus Athletic Center and Averett Flight Center at Danville Regional Airport are also in Danville. The 100 acre Equestrian Center in Pelham, NC lies just across the Virginia-North Carolina border.

Averett's adult education program, Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS), has campus centers in Danville, Richmond, and Tidewater. GPS classes are offered at 12 locations around Virginia.

Averett Student Foundation
Averett Student Foundation members represent the university at special functions such as plays, receptions and donor recognition events.

The Chanticleer
Averett's student-run news magazine, The Chanticleer, was established in 1922.

Student Government Association
The Student Government Association (SGA) is Averett's student governing body.

Athletics
Averett competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports, and its athletic teams are called the Cougars. The university is a member of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) since the 2022–23 academic year. The Cougars previously competed in the USA South Athletic Conference (USA South) from 1978–79 to 2021–22.

List of teams
Men's Sports:
 * Baseball
 * Basketball
 * Cross Country
 * Football
 * Golf
 * Lacrosse
 * Soccer
 * Tennis
 * Track & Field
 * Volleyball (Coming 2023-24)
 * Wrestling

Women's Sports:
 * Basketball
 * Cross Country
 * Golf
 * Lacrosse
 * Soccer
 * Softball
 * Tennis
 * Track & Field
 * Volleyball

Coed Sports:
 * Cheerleading
 * Dance
 * Equestrian
 * Esports

Facilities
Matches are played at "Cougars Den", in Danville, which has a maximum seating capacity of 1,500. Redevelopment of the facility began in 2014 with new turf and lights for the existing stadium, and the field being renamed "Daly Field". Further development of the stadium complex followed, with it being named "Frank R. Campbell Stadium".