Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College was established in 1873 as a women’s college. It has been affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention since 1920. Today, it is a liberal arts college catering to both men and women who desire solid education in a Christian environment. Academic programs for church-related vocations were opened to men as early as 1956 while all programs were expanded to accommodate male students in 2005.
This private college offers academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is located in the rolling hills of North Mississippi in the Town of Blue Mountain. The surrounding hills actually have a bluish tint thus the name. Forty-four acres of land in a peaceful setting provide the home for the college campus having 14 main buildings.
The college’s founder, General Mark Perrin Lowrey, believed in the importance of providing comprehensive education for women. The first faculty was composed of himself and his two daughters in the school that was formerly known as the Blue Mountain Female Institute. Women still constitute the majority of the student population although male students now represent a substantial 25%. Total enrollment is approximately 500 while the student/faculty ratio is placed at 12:1. The average class size is 12.
Degrees offered include the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Education. The college has seven departments, each offering their respective majors and minors. These departments consist of the Department of Biblical and Associated Studies, Department of Business, Department of Education, Department of Fine Arts and Speech, Department of Language and Literature, Department of Mathematics and Natural Science and the Department of Social and Behavioral Science. Some courses are offered online. Educational cost for undergraduates taking 12 to 16 semester hours is about $ 6,000.00 per semester inclusive of tuition, fee, room and board.
