Barton College

Barton College, a four-year, private, liberal arts college, believes in college on a first-name basis. Providing students with a strong academic focus and opportunities for leadership development, Barton unites its smaller size with an intentional application of collaborative learning in every aspect of the students’ college experience.

Barton College takes advantage of its smaller size and its historic commitment to students to create a unique undergraduate experience centered on a passionate belief in a community of active learners. Barton graduates will be well-prepared for life and for success in their chosen careers because they will possess a lifelong commitment to learning, service, and achievement. We will gain national recognition for the value of the Barton experience.Barton College is committed to providing programs and opportunities to encourage the intellectual, spiritual, social, and cultural development of its students and to challenge them for future leadership and service to their local and global communities.

What will you find at Barton? Quality academic programs. Hands-on experiences. First-rate faculty. Personal attention.Whether you pursue our most popular majors (nursing, education, and business) or opt for unique disciplines such as gerontology or audio recording technology, these are the qualities of a Barton education you’ll appreciate most.Can a small school offer big-time opportunities for getting involved? You’d better believe it! Here at Barton, you’ll be immersed in real-world learning opportunities and surrounded by people who are invested in your success.

Barton's graduate programs prepare you for the responsibilities of administration and leadership in your professional field. Achieve success in your career with your master's degree from Barton College.
The Professional Studies programs provide expanded options for our adult students and include online, evening, and weekend courses, giving adults more choices in completing their degrees.

Continuing Education offers educational opportunities to individuals throughout their lives. These non-credit-bearing courses address interests such as skill upgrades and training, cultural advancement, or personal creative development.Eight schools offering over 30 academic majors. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Social Work, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of School Administration, and Master of Science in Nursing degrees are awarded through the schools of Allied Health and Sport Studies; Business; Education; Humanities; Nursing; Sciences; Social Work; and Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts.

The namesake of the College is Barton Warren Stone, who was a major figure in the founding of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to Stone’s early ministry in eastern North Carolina, he also has roots in private higher education in this state. Born in Maryland and reared in Virginia, Stone used his modest inheritance to attend Caldwell Academy in Greensboro in the late 1700s. Stone’s academic career had its beginnings in law and later in teaching, but it eventually gave way to a lifelong religious evolution that carried him to the frontiers of Kentucky.In that state, a religious movement led by Stone and another led by Thomas Campbell merged in 1832 to form the denomination which, 70 years later, established the College.

The Barton College Alumni Association includes more than 26,000 graduates and former students. Members of the Association are encouraged to take part in the organization’s many activities, from fund-raising to encouraging prospective students to consider the College. Barton Scope, published twice a year, is a magazine for alumni and friends of the College.

Located in Wilson, North Carolina, Barton College is an academic community of approximately 1,000 students and 200 faculty and staff. Nationally recognized for its programs in education, deaf education, nursing, and social work and for its championship athletics teams, the school maintains a close-knit atmosphere and emphasizes individual attention and engaged learning.

Our 65-acre campus is home to Barton Bulldogs varsity athletics and boasts five residence halls, the W. N. Hackney Library, the Kennedy Recreation & Intramural Center, and other state-of-the-art facilities. In 1923 the College adopted the words Habebunt Lumen Vitae — “They shall have the light of life” — as its official college motto. In 1955, the College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The College is named for Barton Warren Stone, a founder of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In addition to Stone’s early ministry in eastern North Carolina, he also had roots in private higher education in this state.Born in Maryland and reared in Virginia, Stone used his modest inheritance to attend Caldwell Academy in Greensboro in the late 1700s. He then began a career in law but later took up teaching before his lifelong religious evolution carried him to the frontiers of Kentucky. There, he led a religious movement, which eventually merged with another led by Thomas Campbell in 1832 to form the denomination that, 70 years later, established the College.

On May 1, 1902, Barton College, under its former name of Atlantic Christian College, was incorporated by the State of North Carolina and opened in September with a capacity enrollment of 107. On September 6, 1990, the College changed its name to Barton College.