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{{Short description|Public college in Greenwood, South Carolina, US}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Lander University
 | image_name             = Lander University seal.svg
 | image_upright          = 0.7
 | former_name            = Williamston Female College (1872–1898)<br />Lander College (1898–1992)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lander University Story |url=https://www.lander.edu/about/history#:~:text=In%201898%2C%20the%20college%20gained,institution%20is%20now%20completely%20coeducational. |website=lander.edu |publisher=Lander University |access-date=25 November 2022}}</ref>
 | caption                = 
 | motto                  = ''Puritas et Scientia'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = "Purity and Knowledge"
 | established            = 1872
 | type                   = [[Public university]]
 | endowment              = $26.37M
 | administrative_staff   = 
 | faculty                = 191
 | president              = Richard Cosentino
 | rector                 = 
 | dean                   = 
 | head_label             = 
 | head                   = 
 | students               = 4,400<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lander.edu/news/2024/08/Fall-2024-Semester-Opens-with-Another-Strong-Enrollment.html|title=Lander University}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 
 | postgrad               = 
 | doctoral               = 
 | profess                = 
 | city                   = [[Greenwood, South Carolina|Greenwood]]
 | state                  = [[South Carolina]]
 | country                = United States
 | coor                   = {{Coord|34|12|1|N|82|9|56|W|type:edu_region:US-SC|display=inline,title}}
 | campus                 = 
 | free_label             = 
 | free                   = 
 | colors                 = Blue and gold
 | colours                = 
 | mascot                 = [[Lander Bearcats|Bearcat]]
 | fightsong              = 
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[Division II (NCAA)|Division II]]&nbsp;– [[Peach Belt Conference]]
 | nickname               = LU
 | affiliation            = 
 | footnotes              = 
 | website                = {{url|https://lander.edu/|lander.edu}}
 | logo                   = Lander univ textlogoooo.png
 | logo_size              = 200
}}

'''Lander University''' is a [[public university]] in [[Greenwood, South Carolina]], United States. It was founded in 1872. Its intercollegiate athletic teams compete in [[NCAA Division II]].

== History ==
[[File:Rev. Samuel Lander (page 198 crop).jpg|thumb|left|120px|Reverend Samuel Lander, founder]]
Lander University was founded as a college for women by [[Methodist]] clergyman [[Samuel Lander]] in 1872 as '''Williamston Female College''' in [[Williamston, South Carolina]]. It was re-named '''Lander College''' in 1904. Men were admitted starting in 1943 and it became a university in 1992.<ref name="AutoL8-2">{{cite web |title=Lander University - About - History of Lander |url=http://www.lander.edu/about/history-of-lander |access-date=13 August 2018 |website=Lander.edu}}</ref>

Lander University has had twelve presidents serve since its founding. They are: Samuel Lander (1872&ndash;1904); John O. Willson (1904&ndash;1923); B. Rhett Turnipseed (1923&ndash;1927); R. H. Bennett (1927&ndash;1932); John W. Speake (1932&ndash;1941); John Marvin Rast (1941&ndash;1948); Boyce M. Grier (1948&ndash;1966); E. Don Herd, Jr. (1966&ndash;1973); Larry A. Jackson (1973&ndash;1992); William C. Moran (1992&ndash;2000); Daniel W. Ball (2000&ndash;2015); and Richard E. Cosentino (2015–present).<ref name="AutoL8-2" />

== Campus ==
Lander University is located approximately one half-mile from uptown Greenwood, South Carolina. The main campus sits on 190 acres of land, though this does not include its many off-campus locations.

Lander University has ten residence halls. Residence halls include Bearcat Village, Brookside, Centennial Hall, Chipley Hall, Lide Apartments, McGhee Court, New Hall, Thomason, University Place, and Williamston. The [[Lander College Old Main Building]] is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

In July 2021, Lander announced that the state legislature has appropriated new funding for the University, which includes money that will be used to construct a nursing building on Lander's campus in Greenwood.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lander University receives funding to construct a new nursing building on campus {{!}} Lander University|url=https://www.lander.edu/node/20174|access-date=2021-07-26|website=www.lander.edu}}</ref> Additional funding was appropriated in 2022, including $8 million for a new information commons that will take the place of Jackson Library. An additional $6 million will be used to renovate the existing library into academic space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Another Epic Funding Year for Lander University |url=https://www.lander.edu/news/2022/07/Another-Epic-Funding-Year-for-Lander%20University.html |access-date=2025-04-03 |website=www.lander.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==Academics==
More than 90 areas of undergraduate and graduate studies are offered.
* College of Arts and Humanities 
* College of Behavioral and Social Sciences 
* College of Business
* College of Education 
* College of Graduate & Online Studies
* College of Science and Mathematics 
* Honors College
* William Preston Turner School of Nursing

=== Rankings ===
In 2025, [[U.S. News and World Report]]'s college and university rankings listed Lander fourteenth among regional colleges in the south and third among public regional colleges in the south.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lander University |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/lander-university-3435}}</ref>

== Athletics ==
{{main|Lander Bearcats}}

Varsity athletic teams have reaped honors at district and national levels, including 12 national championships in men's tennis, and, most recently, in men's wrestling. A member of the [[NCAA Division II]], Lander plays in the [[Peach Belt Conference]] and fields teams in men's and women's basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis; men's baseball and golf; and women's cross country, softball, and volleyball. Lander also offers club sports that include equestrian, ultimate disc, rugby, bass-fishing, lacrosse, soccer, water skiing, running, Cross-Fit, baseball, and women's volleyball and it has an intramural program open to all students, faculty, and staff.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Intercollegiate Varsity Sports
!Men's Sports
!Women's Sports
!Co-Ed
|-
|Baseball
|Basketball
|Club Bass Fishing
|-
|Basketball
|Cross Country
|Club E-Sports
|-
|Cross Country
|Golf
|
|-
|Golf
|Lacrosse
|
|-
|Lacrosse
|Soccer
|
|-
|Soccer
|Softball
|
|-
|Tennis
|Tennis
|
|-
|Track & Field
|Volleyball
|
|-
|Wrestling
|Field Hockey
|
|-
|Rugby
|Rugby 
|
|-
|
|Track & Field
|
|-

|
|Acrobatics & Tumbling
|
|-
|
|Cheer & Dance
|
|-
|
|Equestrian
|
|}

==Student life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: Lander University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?218229-Lander-University|website=College Scorecard |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=September 2, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|65|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|24|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| Unknown
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:grey}} 
|-
| [[International student]]
|align=right| {{bartable|3|%|2||background:#008080}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]/[[Alaska Native]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:yellow}}
|-
| [[Native Hawaiian]]/[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|41|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|59|%|2||background:black}}
|}
Sorority and fraternity organizations are under three different councils, these being the [[National Pan-Hellenic Council]] (NPHC), [[National Panhellenic Conference]] (NPC), and [[Interfraternity Council]] (IFC).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lander.edu/campus-life/clubs-organizations/fraternity-sorority-life/index.html|title=Lander - Fraternity & Sorority Life|website=Lander.edu|access-date=29 March 2025}}</ref>

==Notable people==

=== Alumni ===

* [[Adam Arthur]], professional soccer player
* [[Martin Barba (tennis)|Martin Barba]], professional tennis player
* [[Joshua Bertie]], professional soccer player
* [[Chris Blair (sportscaster)|Chris Blair]], radio broadcaster for the [[LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers|LSU Tigers]] athletics
* [[Richard Bryan (footballer)|Richard Bryan]], professional soccer player
* [[Stacey Copeland]], [[professional boxer]] and soccer player
* [[Fraser Ellard]], professional baseball player
* [[Billy Garrett (politician)|Billy Garrett]], member of the [[South Carolina Senate]]
* [[Darlene Goff]], first female general officer of the [[South Carolina]] [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]]
* Steven Griffith, actor
[[Olivier Guéguen]], professional soccer player
* [[Brett Jankouskas]], professional soccer player
* [[Luke Jordan (footballer)|Luke Jordan]], professional football player
* [[Steve Kennedy (tennis)|Steve Kennedy]], professional tennis player
* [[Jim Lander]], [[South Carolina Senate]] between 1993 and 1999 and former [[Comptroller General of South Carolina]]
* [[Leon Lott]], commander of the [[South Carolina State Guard]] and the [[sheriff]] of [[Richland County, South Carolina]].
* [[Stephen Magennis]], professional soccer player and assistant soccer coach at [[Georgia Gwinnett College]]
* [[Tom Marriott]], professional soccer player
* [[Michael Pitts (politician)|Michael Pitts]], former member of the [[South Carolina House of Representatives]]
* [[Wendy Lee Queen]], [[chemist]], [[Materials science|material scientist]]. and [[assistant professor]] at the [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne|École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne]] 
* [[Catharine Rembert]], artist, designer, and art educator
* [[Clément Simonin]], professional soccer player
* [[Jordan Skelton]], professional soccer player
* [[Louie Smothermon]], professional soccer player
* [[Molly Spearman]], educator and [[South Carolina Superintendent of Education]] from 2015 to 2023
* [[Miriam Stevenson]], television host, actress, former model, and [[Miss Universe 1954]]
* [[Everett Stubbs]], member of the [[South Carolina Senate]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/member.php?code=1780681605 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>
* [[Hanin Tamim]], professional soccer player

=== Faculty and staff ===
Lander has 178 full-time faculty members. Notable current and former faculty and staff include:

* [[Christina Jeffrey]], political science lecturer
* [[Helen Lemme]], faculty and [[Civil rights movement (1896–1954)|civil rights]] advocate
* [[Stephen Magennis]], soccer coach
* [[John R. McCravy III]], attorney, member of the [[South Carolina House of Representatives]], and law professor
* [[Mike McGuire (baseball)|Mike McGuire]], baseball coach
* [[Billy Mims]], basketball coach
* [[Les Robinson]], interim athletic director
* [[Kermit Smith]], baseball coach
* [[Rusty Stroupe]], baseball coach
* [[Eugene Van Taylor]], soccer coach
* [[Beverly J. Warren]], professor

==See also==
* [[List of colleges and universities in South Carolina]]
* [[List of current and historical women's universities and colleges]]

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{ccat}}
*{{oweb}}
*[https://landerbearcats.com/ Athletics website]

{{Colleges and universities in South Carolina}}
{{Gulf South Conference navbox}}
{{Peach Belt Conference navbox}}
{{Conference Carolinas navbox}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lander University| ]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:Methodism in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Greenwood, South Carolina]]
[[Category:1872 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges established in 1872]]