Johnson C. Smith University has been ranked several times by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best comprehensive colleges in the South, Johnson C. Smith University continues to be a leader among private liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Founded in 1867 as Biddle Memorial Institute, the university enrolls approximately 1,500 students and confers bachelor’s degrees to hundreds of students each year in 27 different majors.

Each student receives an IBM laptop computer equipped with the latest software and wireless capabilities. Internet access is provided through electronic data ports in the library, dormitory rooms and multimedia classrooms. Network access is available through dial-up modem for off-campus students.

The university’s service learning component, which combines academics and community service, has become a national model to other higher education institutions. Extensive career development opportunities abound through co-op programs and internships with more than 90 companies.

Purpose/Mission Statement

Founded in 1867 under the auspices of the Committee on Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) is an independent, private, coeducational institution of higher learning. Located in the rapidly growing metropolis of Charlotte, North Carolina, "Queen City of the South," this historically African-American university has a residential campus with a familiar atmosphere in which students are stimulated and nurtured by dedicated and caring faculty and staff.

Consistent with its Christian roots, the university recognizes the importance of moral and ethical values to undergird intellectual development and all endeavors. JCSU believes in the unrelenting pursuit of knowledge and in the values of cultivating the life of the mind. The university assigns great significance to the development of self-confidence, to the understanding of ones' own heritage as well as an awareness of the cultures of others, to exploration of the myriad forces affecting people of a complex technological age, and to formulating a sense of one's role in this schema.

The mission of JCSU is to provide an outstanding education for a diverse group of talented and highly motivated students from various ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds. The university offers a liberal education in conjunction with concentrated study in specialized fields, in preparation for advanced study and specific careers.

The university endeavors to produce graduates who are able to communicate effectively, think critically, learn independently as well as collaboratively, and demonstrate competence in their chosen fields. Further, it provides an environment in which students can fulfill their physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and other personal needs through which they can develop a compelling sense of social and civic responsibility for leadership and service in a dynamic, multicultural society. Likewise, the university embraces its responsibility to provide leadership, service, and lifelong learning to the larger community.

Regarding teaching effectiveness as paramount in its educational enterprise, JCSU has a commitment to the recruitment and retention of an outstanding faculty. To this end, the university promotes faculty development, encourages faculty involvement in research and other creative activities, and endorses the principles of academic freedom.

To ensure the integrity and stability of its status and the perpetuation of its rich legacy, Johnson C. Smith University has a firm resolve to maintain the fiscal and human resources requisite to be a truly distinctive institution—a hallmark of excellence in its students, faculty, staff, administrators, academic and other programs, facilities, operations, and environment.