LaGrange College

LaGrange College is the oldest private college in the U.S. state of Georgia. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it is located in LaGrange, Georgia, with an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The College is a four year, liberal arts and sciences institution offering degrees in some 52 undergraduate academic areas plus a Graduate program in Education.

Founded in 1831, LaGrange began as the female educational institution, LaGrange Female Academy. It was first housed in a large white building just across the street from the current campus. In 1842, the academy moved to the present location on “the Hill”, which is the highest geographical point in the city of LaGrange. The institution changed its name to LaGrange Female College in 1851, then to LaGrange College in 1934. The school officially became coed in 1953. It remains the oldest private institution in Georgia.

LaGrange College has retained Methodist ties throughout its history and today is part of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

In athletics, LaGrange College fields 16 intercollegiate sports teams (8 for men, 8 for women) including football, baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse. The College also has a host of intramural activities. Over one-third of on-campus students participate in athletics at LaGrange, which is a member of the NCAA Division III and the USA South Athletic Conference in every sport but swimming & diving. The LaGrange golf and softball teams regularly earn NCAA bids to their respective national tournaments, and in 2009, the Panther football team completed the most dramatic turnaround in NCAA Division III history by finishing 9-2, winning the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA national playoffs.