Since its founding in 1780 as the first college west of the Allegheny Mountains, Transylvania has been pioneering new frontiers in higher education. In its early years, Transylvania included a medical school, a law school, a seminary, and a college of arts and sciences that educated thousands of the young nation’s leaders in government, business, medicine, law, and education. Today, the college is similarly successful in fulfilling its contemporary mission of offering a high quality liberal arts education marked by personal attention to students and a faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching. Today, it is a nationally ranked liberal arts college.

The name Transylvania comes from Latin and means "across the woods"—a good description of the vast, heavily forested region settled by a pioneering land company whose chief scout was Daniel Boone. This area, which would remain a part of Virginia until Kentucky achieved statehood in 1792, still marked the nation's western frontier in 1780 when Transylvania became the sixteenth college in the U.S.

Transylvania is linked with many famous names in American history. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr were early supporters. Henry Clay was a law professor and a member of Transylvania's board of trustees. Among other distinguished alumni are founder and hero of Texas Stephen Austin, famed abolitionist Cassius M. Clay, U.S. vice presidents John C. Breckinridge and Richard M. Johnson, Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan, 50 U.S. senators, 101 U.S. representatives, 36 governors, and 34 ambassadors.

Transylvania does not rest on its historic laurels. We continually strive to advance the cause of liberal arts education that the University represents so well.