Georgetown College

In 1829, the Kentucky General Assembly chartered the Kentucky Baptist Education Society with the purpose of establishing a Baptist college in the state. 24 trustees under the leadership of Silas Noel selected the town of Georgetown as the site for the new school. The first president hired by the college in 1829, William D. Staughton, died before assuming his duties. The second president, Rev. Joel Smith Bacon, stayed two years (1830–1832), fighting court cases to release funding for the college before leaving out of frustration. The third president, Benjamin Farnsworth, endured a power struggle with the Campbellites and resigned in 1837. In 1838, Rev. Rockwood Giddings became the fourth president of the college. During his short tenure, Giddings began construction on Recitation Hall, the school's first permanent building. Giddings died after a year in office and was replaced by Rev. Howard Malcolm in 1840. Malcolm oversaw the completion of the construction of the building, now known as Giddings Hall. He also expanded the educational offerings beyond the classics and encouraged the founding of literary societies and the Georgetown Female Academy. He resigned in 1849 when his anti-slavery vote at Kentucky's third constitutional convention resulted in criticism from slavery proponents. [ citation needed ] The college experienced steady growth until the Civil War, when a clear divide established between students and faculty. Partisan differences at the start of the war became so hostile, the college was forced to shut down until 1863. By 1867, enrollment had grown to seventy-six students, and, that same year, one of the earliest female seminaries was founded at the college. Basil Manly Jr. was president of Georgetown College from 1871 to 1879. [ 5 ] The college saw steady growth for the next century but experienced a major boom following World War II and the GI Bill.

The college is associated with five Rhodes Scholars and, since 1989, its alumni have included 38 Fulbright Scholars. [ 6 ] The college also has an honors program and a partnership with Regent's Park College , Oxford . [ 7 ] As the student population grew in the late 20th century, the administration sought ways to diversify the campus and protect academic freedom. In 2005, Georgetown College and the Kentucky Baptist Convention reached an agreement on a separation plan, due to the college's desire to elect non-Baptist members to the board of trustees. [ 8 ] In 2013, the Kentucky Baptist Convention officially ended its partnership with the college. [ 9 ] In 2014, the college earned the highest rating for protecting free speech on campus. [ 10 ]

Conference Center Giddings Hall Georgetown College offers Bachelor of Arts degrees, Bachelor of Science degrees, and several dual-program degrees in 38 undergraduate majors. The college also offers a Master of Arts degree in education. The college has a 14:1 student to faculty ratio and most classes have 17 or fewer students. [ 3 ] Georgetown College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. [ 11 ] Admissions In 2023, the college accepted 71.7% of applicants, with those admitted having an average 3.57 GPA and an average of 1121 SAT score or an average 21 ACT score. [ 12 ] High school GPA is considered important by the college and, of students responding, 86% found that the admissions process made them feel the school cared about them and 86% found that the admissions process evaluated them not just as a set of numbers. [ 13 ]

Georgetown College was ranked #156-201 in National Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report' s 2022-23 Best Colleges ranking. [ 14 ]