Transylvania University is a small liberal arts college of about 940 students on a compact campus in downtown Lexington, a block from the city's central business district. Founded in 1780, it is the oldest college west of the Allegheny Mountains and the sixteenth oldest in the United States, and it produced two US vice presidents, three Supreme Court justices and a long line of nineteenth-century statesmen — Jefferson Davis and Stephen F. Austin both studied here. Today it runs 46 majors on a two-term calendar with a May term, an 11:1 student-faculty ratio and an average class of 15. Its real reputation rests on professional-school placement: more than 90% of students recommended for medical school and 100% of those recommended for law school get in.
Mascot: Raf the bat
Notable Alumni
John C. Breckinridge (14th Vice President of the United States)•Richard Mentor Johnson (9th Vice President of the United States)•John Marshall Harlan (US Supreme Court justice, the 'Great Dissenter' of Plessy v. Ferguson)•Stephen F. Austin ('Father of Texas', who led the first American colony in Mexican Texas)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
Highlights
Campus Experience
Greek life is disproportionately large for a college this size and shapes the social calendar more than it would at a comparable liberal arts school elsewhere. Academically the place is serious in a pre-professional way: a very large share of students are aimed at medical or law school, the advising is built around that, and the placement statistics are the reason many families choose it. With 940 students you know everyone by second year, which people describe as either the best or the worst thing about Transy depending on the week. Being in downtown Lexington rather than a college town is a genuine differentiator — restaurants, internships and a city are outside the gate rather than an hour's drive.
A small, handsome campus organised around Old Morrison, the 1833 Greek Revival building with a columned portico that is a National Historic Landmark and appears on every piece of Transy literature. Mature trees and lawns on the historic side give way to modern residence halls on the west; the whole thing is walkable in ten minutes and bounded by downtown Lexington streets.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
Transylvania's Department of Public Safety staffs sworn peace officers 24/7 and patrols the small campus on foot, bicycle, golf cart and vehicle, with in-person and virtual safety escorts available at any hour. The campus is a compact block of downtown Lexington, which makes it easy to cover but also means it is not gated off from the city.
The campus sits at 300 North Broadway, a block from downtown Lexington and the Gratz Park historic district on one side, with less prosperous blocks to the north and west. Lexington's overall violent crime rate is moderate for a US city of 320,000. Daytime foot traffic is heavy and normal; students take the usual downtown precautions at night, and the escort service exists for a reason.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Select days each semester, with check-in from 9:00am; Twilight Tours and Preview Days scheduled through the year
Duration: A 60-minute walking tour, plus optional sessions with an admissions counsellor, faculty or staff
Register in advance. Students who complete an official campus visit before 1 December 2026 and are admitted for Fall 2027 receive a $1,000 renewable Campus Visit Scholarship, worth $4,000 over four years — it does not stack with other awards, but it is free money for a visit you were making anyway.
Book a TourThe campus is a compact downtown block and open to walk; on-campus, off-campus and virtual visit options are listed on the admissions visit page.
Tour ResourcesSeptember to early November or February to April, during Transy's two 14-week terms. The May term and the summer leave campus very quiet. Keeneland's race meets in April and October fill Lexington with visitors and make hotels expensive.
Visitor parking is available on campus off North Broadway; the campus is small enough to cross on foot in minutes and downtown Lexington is a block away. Blue Grass Airport is about 15 minutes by car, and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International is roughly 90 minutes.
Location
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