Anderson University 
The information on this page was last updated 3/28/2024. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]
Summary
Anderson University is a selective, comprehensive Christian university offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus, in Greenville and online.
Contact information
Mailing address:
Anderson University
316 Boulevard
Anderson, SC 29621
Website: andersonuniversity.edu
Phone: (864) 231-2000
Email: [email protected]
Organization details
EIN: 570324906
CEO/President: Evans P Whitaker, Ph.D.
Chairman: Mary Anne Bunton / Donald Harper
Board size: 30
Founder: Daniel Brown, J.P. Reed & Stephen McCulley
Ruling year: 1935
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 05/31
Member of ECFA: No
Member of ECFA since:
Purpose
For God and humanity, Anderson University seeks to be an innovative, entrepreneurial, premier comprehensive university where liberal arts, professional studies, and graduate studies thrive within an uplifting, welcoming, and distinctively Christian community of diverse faculty, staff and students dedicated to intellectually rigorous learning, a caring and hospitable campus culture, and personal transformation.
Mission statement
Anderson University is an academic community affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. It provides a competitive education in the liberal arts, professional, and graduate disciplines, and a co-curricular focus on the development of character, servant leadership, and cultural engagement. This is a diverse community that is intentionally Christ-centered, people-focused, student-oriented, quality-driven, and future-directed.
Statement of faith
God
We believe in one living and true God, who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the same in essence but distinct in person. In God exists, simply and eternally, all perfections of goodness, truth, and beauty. He created the heavens and earth from nothing by his sovereign will and sustains and governs them by his almighty power and love. He has revealed himself and his truth in the created order, in the Holy Scriptures, and supremely in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, incarnate. He is the eternally begotten Son of the Father, who in the fullness of time took to himself a complete human nature - body and soul - uniting divinity and humanity in one person for the salvation of the world. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died as a sacrifice for sin, rose bodily on the third day, and ascended into heaven. Even now he intercedes for his people, and one day he will come again to judge the living and the dead and to consummate his eternal kingdom.
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life, the third person of the Trinity, who eternally proceeds from the Father and Son. He is sent by the Father and Son to indwell believers, to empower them for holiness, and to equip them for service and witness.
Humanity
We believe that human beings are the special creation of God, in his own image and likeness, and the crowning achievement of his creation. In the beginning, human beings were innocent of sin and endowed by God with freedom of choice, yet chose to sin against God and brought sin and death into the human race. Thus, all persons (except Jesus Christ) come into the world under the curse of sin and need redemption. Only God, by his grace, can bring one into his holy fellowship and enable one to fulfill God's creative purpose. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created humanity in his own image, and in that Christ died for humanity; therefore, every person of every race and ethnicity possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christ-like love.
Satan
We believe in the existence of Satan, sin, and evil powers, and that all these have been defeated by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Redemption
We believe Jesus Christ died for all the sins of the world. His suffering and death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead were for all peoples and provide the only redemption from sin.
Salvation by Grace
We believe that all who freely accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are "born again" (made new, renewed, or regenerated) and thereby become children of God, and are enabled to offer spiritual worship acceptable to God. Salvation is by God's grace alone through faith. People cannot save themselves by works of righteousness, but works of righteousness are products of the Holy Spirit.
Conversion
We believe that authentic Christian life begins with conversion to Jesus Christ which involves repentance and faith in Him; conversion to Christ results in justification (forgiveness) and sanctification (growth in holiness). These are gifts that cannot be earned or inherited.
Scripture and Creeds
We believe that the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture are inspired by God's Spirit, are without error, and are the sole supreme and final authority under God for Christian belief and life; Jesus Christ is the focus of divine revelation. Creeds and confessional statements are expressions of common faith under the authority of Christ and Scripture.
The Church
We believe that the one, holy, universal Church is the "body of Christ," those people who believe and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Church was instituted by Jesus Christ to be the people of God, the body and bride of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. The universal, or invisible, church is made up of all true believers regardless of race, gender, age or station in life; the visible church is the local expression of this people of God in particular congregations of believers. The mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ and by faithfully administering the Lord's ordinances and discipline. The purpose of the church is to glorify God as his redeemed people in all of its words and actions: in its worship, evangelism, service, care for creation, and care for all people, especially the poor and needy.
Baptist Distinctives
We believe in the autonomy of the local congregation, separation of church and state, and voluntary cooperation between congregations for evangelism and education. We believe in freedom of conscience from government domination or control and in the liberty and competency of every Christian believer to interpret Scripture, in conversation with the whole body of Christ, and to go directly to God in prayer.
Ordinances
We believe in two ordinances instituted by Christ to be observed by his people until he returns: water baptism of believers by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
Gender, Sexuality and Marriage
We believe, that God, in his image, created humanity as male and female (Genesis 1:27) and that Jesus affirmed this truth (Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6). On the basis of biblical teaching and together with the vast majority of Christians throughout the ages, we affirm that marriage between one man and one woman is the only proper context for sexual intimacy and that abstinence should be observed in singleness.
The Lord's Return and Last Things
We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth, personally, visibly, and unexpectedly, in power and glory to raise all the dead, judge people and nations, consign Satan and his followers to hell, save all people who believe in Jesus Christ by faith, and to bring His Kingdom to fulfillment.
Donor confidence score
Transparency grade
D
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Colleges/Universities
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 429 of 1123 | 55 of 128 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 645 of 1124 | 86 of 128 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 286 of 1124 | 26 of 128 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 530 of 1123 | 70 of 128 |
According to the organization's Form 990, it received $1,090,776 in government grants in 2023.
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 13% | 18% | 14% | 8% | 23% | 36% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 16% | 7% | 9% | 15% | 7% | 4% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 84% | 93% | 91% | 85% | 93% | 96% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 85% | 89% | 88% | 88% | 89% | 90% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 98% | 101% | 95% | 86% | 94% | 95% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 82% | 89% | 83% | 76% | 84% | 85% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 2% | -1% | 5% | 14% | 6% | 5% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 1% | 0% | 4% | 10% | 4% | 4% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 13% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 9% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.53 | 0.49 | 0.46 | 0.50 | 0.51 | 0.51 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 2.66 | 2.69 | 2.00 | 2.19 | 2.18 | 2.20 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.45 | 1.32 | 0.91 | 1.10 | 1.12 | 1.13 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 7.81 | 6.78 | 10.95 | 8.16 | 10.70 | 11.67 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.09 | 0.09 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 7.31 | 7.73 | 11.97 | 9.58 | 9.70 | 9.72 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 24% | 39% | 39% | 23% | 25% | 24% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 11% | 32% | 33% | 14% | 17% | 16% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 151% | 124% | 133% | 154% | 145% | 147% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Cash | $49,654,149 | $68,000,582 | $31,394,716 | $40,177,815 | $36,445,583 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $13,334,693 | $16,396,627 | $12,651,738 | $2,712,424 | $3,721,549 |
| Short-term investments | $36,727,454 | $50,821,704 | $53,668,225 | $43,061,297 | $39,701,048 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $99,716,296 | $135,218,913 | $97,714,679 | $85,951,536 | $79,868,180 |
| Long-term investments | $16,501,302 | $2,186,987 | $2,074,642 | $2,069,760 | $3,023,995 |
| Fixed assets | $143,832,607 | $127,003,945 | $108,546,966 | $95,011,092 | $88,438,317 |
| Other long-term assets | $7,922,984 | $5,464,135 | $5,734,942 | $4,352,244 | $4,260,069 |
| Total long-term assets | $168,256,893 | $134,655,067 | $116,356,550 | $101,433,096 | $95,722,381 |
| Total assets | $267,973,189 | $269,873,980 | $214,071,229 | $187,384,632 | $175,590,561 |
| Liabilities | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $9,940,380 | $7,969,463 | $7,664,401 | $4,472,953 | $4,554,487 |
| Other current liabilities | $4,767,164 | $4,381,944 | $4,304,368 | $3,562,484 | $2,289,145 |
| Total current liabilities | $14,707,544 | $12,351,407 | $11,968,769 | $8,035,437 | $6,843,632 |
| Debt | $85,592,641 | $87,904,835 | $30,377,617 | $32,116,069 | $27,959,903 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $4,366,278 | $5,620,995 | $6,196,936 | $7,142,929 | $8,167,266 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $89,958,919 | $93,525,830 | $36,574,553 | $39,258,998 | $36,127,169 |
| Total liabilities | $104,666,463 | $105,877,237 | $48,543,322 | $47,294,435 | $42,970,801 |
| Net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Without donor restrictions | $119,078,610 | $122,783,834 | $125,508,483 | $107,701,555 | $100,855,223 |
| With donor restrictions | $44,228,116 | $41,212,909 | $40,019,424 | $32,388,642 | $31,764,537 |
| Net assets | $163,306,726 | $163,996,743 | $165,527,907 | $140,090,197 | $132,619,760 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Total contributions | $9,365,777 | $11,729,134 | $18,634,711 | $6,902,925 | $3,919,145 |
| Program service revenue | $120,973,018 | $112,800,267 | $102,667,196 | $94,605,915 | $89,916,802 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $723,779 | $5,561,484 | $3,231,136 | $564,650 | $1,282,613 |
| Other revenue | $102,949 | $92,141 | $131,402 | $149,027 | $70,263 |
| Total other revenue | $121,799,746 | $118,453,892 | $106,029,734 | $95,319,592 | $91,269,678 |
| Total revenue | $131,165,523 | $130,183,026 | $124,664,445 | $102,222,517 | $95,188,823 |
| Expenses | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Program services | $116,914,485 | $108,127,207 | $95,066,945 | $85,587,094 | $80,832,233 |
| Management and general | $13,255,939 | $13,436,491 | $10,818,374 | $9,256,522 | $7,861,572 |
| Fundraising | $1,727,784 | $1,625,065 | $1,542,402 | $1,595,537 | $1,420,758 |
| Total expenses | $131,898,208 | $123,188,763 | $107,427,721 | $96,439,153 | $90,114,563 |
| Change in net assets | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($732,685) | $6,994,263 | $17,236,724 | $5,783,364 | $5,074,260 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($732,685) | $6,994,263 | $17,236,724 | $5,783,364 | $5,074,260 |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| Dr Evans P Whitaker | President | $1,041,203 |
| David Omar Rashed | Sr VP Administration & Brand | $251,572 |
| James Wayne Landrith | Sr VP Development/Pres. Affairs | $241,572 |
| Jim Fereira | Sr VP Student Development | $225,153 |
| Ryan Neal | Provost | $224,493 |
| Reginald Gay | VP and University Counsel | $221,096 |
| Steven Nail | Dean-College of Business | $208,663 |
| Kristie Cole | VP Finance and CFO | $200,451 |
| Pamela Ross | VP for Enrollment Management | $183,829 |
| Ben Deaton | VP for the Office of TOLI | $162,760 |
| Mark Butler | Dean- College of Education | $157,742 |
| Mr Don Harper | Trustee | $2,200 |
Compensation data as of: 5/31/2023
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 3/28/2024. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]
History
Anderson University traces its origin to one of the first institutions of higher learning for women in the United States. Founded by the Reverend William B. Johnson, a Baptist minister and the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Johnson Female Seminary opened in the village of Anderson in 1848.
Forced to close during the Civil War, in time a new generation carried on what had been begun at that institution. A group of public-spirited citizens, desiring to have an institution of higher learning in Anderson, offered 32 acres of land and $100,000 to the South Carolina Baptist Convention at its meeting in 1910. The Convention nominated a group of trustees, and Anderson College was granted a charter in 1911 by the South Carolina General Assembly. In 1912, the college opened its doors and operated as a four-year college for women until 1930. In 1929, the South Carolina Baptist Convention approved the institution's transition to a junior college, the first in the state. The College became a coeducational institution in 1930.
In December 1989, the Board of Trust voted to return the College to its status as a four-year institution, beginning with the fall semester of 1991, and the first graduate program began in 2004. A year later, the Board of Trust voted to assume university status to better reflect the quality, breadth, and maturity of the academic program and the entire institution.
Thus, on January 1, 2006, Anderson College officially became Anderson University.
Today, Anderson University boasts a lively campus atmosphere with dozens of organizations ranging from Baptist student groups to academic and service organizations. The University competes in NCAA Division II athletics and currently has teams in a variety of sports, including men's and women's basketball; men's and women's golf; men's and women's soccer; men's and women's tennis; baseball; volleyball; softball; cross country; and men's and women's track and field. Always a regional leader in NCAA Division II, Trojan Athletics has taken a quantum leap forward in recent years. In 2021, men's lacrosse became the 19th athletic program, which will be followed in 2023 with women's lacrosse and, in 2024, football. Major construction is ongoing to modernize the Anderson University Athletic Campus to accommodate the unprecedented growth that represents a new era in Trojan Athletics history.
Today, Anderson University is among the fastest growing private universities in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac. Enrollment has grown more than 100 percent since 2002 and now numbers more than 4,000 students.
Increased enrollment only tells part of the story, however; the reason for it is Anderson's reputation as a premier institution of higher learning and status among the best regional universities in the South as recognized by both U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranks Anderson University #25 among all universities in the United States (both public and private) for "Best Student Engagement;" and Anderson University is one of fewer than 50 colleges or universities in the United States recognized as an Apple Distinguished School-a distinction AU has received four consecutive times. Finally, Anderson University is on the honor roll of the prestigious Great Colleges to Work For program.
The community of Anderson, having given birth to the University, has nurtured and supported the institution throughout its history. In turn, the University has provided intellectual, cultural, and recreational opportunities for the citizens of the Anderson area and has made a significant contribution to the economy of Anderson County. The estimated economic impact of Anderson University to the local economy has been estimated to be more than $300 million annually. In addition, Anderson students perform more than 15,000 hours of community service in the area each year.
Program accomplishments
Anderson University is one of the premier private Christian universities in the country. Known among its peers as an institution that provides a rigorous educational experience, grounded in faith and innovation, AU is regularly recognized by national organizations for affordability, excellence, and a commitment to our student's engagement and growth.