About Averett University

Founded in 1859, Averett University — originally called the Danville Female Institute — began as a small, home-based school with 20 female students in Danville, Virginia. It developed into an accredited, co-educational four-year college by 1971 and today enrolls a diverse group of more than 1,500 students from 26 states and 24 countries. While affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia, Averett welcomes students from all religious and spiritual backgrounds.

Averett now offers more than 30 undergraduate and five graduate degree programs on campus and online, including the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Norfolk, Virginia. Averett is also one of only a handful of institutions in the nation to offer bachelor’s degrees in aeronautics and equestrian studies.

No matter the field of study, we provide a quality education to our students; 75% of our faculty hold doctorates or terminal degrees. Additionally, U.S. News & World placed Averett University as No. 15 in the “2024 Best Regional Colleges in the South.” Their methodology considers several factors in their rankings, including academic reputation, graduation rates and diversity of students’ socioeconomic backgrounds.

Averett’s Mission and Core Values

Averett aims to prepare students to serve and lead as catalysts for positive change. We fulfill this mission by educating students from diverse backgrounds through liberal arts-based degree programs in a personal, collegial, interdisciplinary environment and by adhering to our core values:

These core values help create a learning environment conducive to growth, allowing students to become leaders in their industries.