Limestone University, formerly Limestone College, is a privateChristian university in Gaffney, South Carolina. It was established in 1845 by Thomas Curtis and his son, William Curtis, distinguished scholars born and educated in England. Limestone was the first women's college in South Carolina and one of the first in the nation; it is the third-oldest college in South Carolina. Ten buildings on the campus, as well as the Limestone Springs and limestone quarry itself, are on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1960s, Limestone became fully coeducational and in 2020 its name changed from Limestone College to its current name. In addition to its main "Day Campus", the university provides online degree programs and evening classroom sites in Aiken, Charleston, Columbia, Gaffney, Greenville, and Florence.
Academics
Over 80% of the faculty at Limestone hold the terminal degree in their field, and the student/faculty ratio is 14:1. Limestone offers students 57 majors in four different divisions of study: Arts and Letters, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Professional Studies. Additionally, in addition to free, reasonable accommodations through the Accessibility Office, Limestone College offers a comprehensive support program, LEAP, for Day Campus students with learning and attention challenges. Construction is expected to begin in January 2020 for a new 58,000 square footstudent center and library that will serve as the academic and social hub of the campus. Limestone offers an online MBA degree, as well as an MBA concentration in Healthcare Administration. A Master's program in Social Work is expected to begin in 2020. In December 2019, Limestone announced an articulation agreement with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is a doctoral-level osteopathic medical college with a nearby campus in Spartanburg. Limestone’s partnership with VCOM provides its Pre-Medical students an opportunity to receive a Guaranteed Admissions Interview, as well as take part in an Early Admission Program.
Athletics
Limestone plays sports in Conference Carolinas, and will be moving to the South Atlantic Conference in the fall of 2020. Limestone offers competitive opportunities at the NCAA Division II level for men in football, soccer, basketball, baseball, wrestling, lacrosse, golf, cross country, tennis, track and field, and volleyball and for women in golf, volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, soccer, cross country, lacrosse, track and field, acrobatics/tumbling, wrestling, and field hockey. Limestone has an indoor Olympic-size pool for intramural and recreational use, along with a Physical Education facility containing classrooms, offices, locker rooms, Athletic Training Education facilities for the school's fully accredited Athletic Training program, a fitness center, and a wrestling practice facility.
Clubs and organizations
Clubs and organizations at the university include academics, religious, leadership, musical, theatre, and special interest affiliations. Students also contribute to a yearbook and a literary magazine of poems, essays, short stories, and art. The college has a Reserve Officers' Training Corps program for students interested in serving in the military or reserves.
