Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina has approximately 3,000 undergraduates on their 1300 acre rural campus. On my recent visit I was impressed with the newer 110,000 square-foot student union, which is ten times larger than the one it replaced and houses a new movie theater for free weekly campus movies, a two-story fitness center, and large spaces for club and university-wide activities. New engineering labs, new athletic facilities/fields, and updated residence halls all contributed to the feeling of an up-to-date campus with a strong emphasis on building community for the students with on-campus activities and amenities. Students can get involved with 21 Division 1 sports teams and 34 club and intramural sports, cheered on by their mascot - Gaylord the Camel! There are over 100 student groups and clubs, many leadership opportunities, and ways to get involved with the Campus Activities Board. With their Christian heritage and mission to impact lives for good, Campbell has a strong focus on student involvement in community service activities.
Academically, Campbell offers over 150 programs, small class sizes, and a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio. A few quick mentions include their robust School of Business curriculum - with a virtual stock market, a free-enterprise-based curriculum, and the only degree (anywhere) in Trust and Wealth Management (both at the bachelors and masters levels) that includes internships and a select trust fellows program. The university also has a 24 hour library, four student media outlets, and the Keith Hills golf course (for their PGA Golf Management program). In addition to their undergraduate offerings, Campbell has a rare Osteopathic medical school (the only one in NC), a law school, pharmacy, nursing and health sciences programs, divinity school and a variety of other graduate programs, offering extended paths for those interested. Impressively, students can earn a Joint 4+1 ANY program/MBA in five years. Campbell also has a very strong ROTC program on campus.
Since Campbell is pretty much the only thing going on in the town of Buies Creek, the university dominates the space and it definitely lives up to its assurance that there will be “quiet roads without traffic jams.” We found this to be so true and were a little surprised at the lack of off-campus amenities. But then we did find a few off-campus options that were within walking distance - a Subway, Chinese food restaurant, the Too Good to Be Healthy shop (with a laid-back vibe for smoothies, hanging out on couches, and playing table tennis), a pizza place, Bake Lab bakery and Creek Coffee for quiet meetups and studying a la cafe.
All students are allowed to have cars on campus and many are happy to drive to nearby small towns to restock supplies and partake in additional dining options. For further adventures and cultural opportunities, the greater Raleigh area is 30 miles away and with a 2 or 3 hour drive students can partake in weekend trips to mountains and beaches… including the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cape Fear River, Jordan Lake, and Raven Rock for hiking and camping.
Of merit were the very informative student tour guides as well as the tasty dinner at the main dining hall with a nice variety of vegan/vegetarian offerings as well as the usual variety of foods at most college dining halls.
At Confident College Planning we help students and families fine-tune their college lists based on their own individual interests and goals. There are many choices and we can help you uncover a variety of options that are best for you. Contact me at nancy@confidentcollegeplanning.com for a conversation on how I can help you in your exciting college search journey. Whether that be with college list formation, funding strategies, preparing a “best-look” application, or preparing for scholarship interviews, I would be happy to help!
