Transylvania University was chartered by the Virginia legislature on May 4, 1780.
Happy 240th anniversary, Transylvania! May 4, 1780, is the founding year of our wonderful university.
The name Transylvania comes from the Latin — “across the woods” — because that’s where Lexington was located as a western portion of Virginia before Kentucky became a state.
Today, Transylvania has built on its 240-year history with over 15,000 alums living throughout the United States. We have about 1,000 students who are participating in our four-year residential campus. We offer 46 majors.
Our strong commitment is to the liberal arts because we see this as a significant value for students of the 21st century. We emphasize communications skills, both written and oral, critical thinking and problem-solving, all within the context of the arts and humanities, which enrich our lives so much.
I encourage you to come visit us if you’ve not seen the campus lately, located in downtown Lexington.
Happy 240 years, Transylvania. I look forward to the future with great excitement.