• Welcome Dr. Summer McGee as LR’s 13th President

    Lenoir-Rhyne University Board of Trustees Appoints Dr. Summer McGee as President
    Lenoir-Rhyne University has selected Summer McGee, Ph.D, as the institution’s 13th president. Her appointment was enthusiastically approved by the Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees after a national search.

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LR ranked nationally as “Best Value”


With the release of U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, Lenoir-Rhyne University has once again been recognized as a top university in the South. The 2023-24 Best Colleges publication ranks Lenoir-Rhyne as follows:

Students walking on campus
  • Best Value Schools #21
  • Regional Universities South #40
  • Top Performers on Social Mobility #43

“Our faculty and staff are focused on delivering a transformative educational experience,” said Fred Whitt, Ed.D., university president. “We are pleased that U.S. News continues to recognize the value LR provides to students by making that experience affordable and accessible.”

To calculate the rankings, U.S. News focuses on academic quality and outcome measures, including graduation rates, retention rates, graduate indebtedness and social mobility. This year the publication changed its calculation methods, increasing emphasis on socioeconomic diversity among degree-earners as well as peer assessment. 

A top statistic for the university includes 97% of university graduates from the 2022 class are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. 

For more information about Lenoir-Rhyne University, its majors and degree programs, visit www.lr.edu.

Four student researchers from LR pose for group photo at NCAS

Lenoir-Rhyne University students showcased their academic excellence and research expertise at the 2025 North Carolina Academy of Science (NCAS) annual meeting in late March.

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Newly appointed LR president Dr. Summer McGee

Lenoir-Rhyne University has selected Summer McGee, Ph.D, as the institution’s 13th president. Her appointment was enthusiastically approved by the Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees after a national search.

View More