Elon University

Elon College was founded by the Christian Connection, which later became a part of the United Church of Christ. The charter for Elon College was issued by the North Carolina legislature in 1889. William S. Long was the first president and the original student body consisted of 76 students. In 1923, a fire destroyed most of the campus, including school records, classrooms, the library, and the chapel. The board of trustees voted to rebuild immediately. Many of the buildings that were erected in the years following the fire still stand and make up the bedrock of Elon's campus.

An institution that for many years enrolled mostly North Carolina residents, Elon began to enroll significant numbers of students from the mid-Atlantic states in the mid-1970s and began to improve its academic standards for admission. By the year 2000, about 68 percent of Elon's students came from out-of-state and were accepted only if they met high academic standards. Elon became known as a selective university and, by 2013, 82% of incoming students were from out of state. Transforming a College: The Story of a Little Known College's Strategic Climb to National Distinction (2004), an academic study by George Keller of the University of Pennsylvania, chronicles how the school changed from a regional religious college to a selective, nationally recognized university.

Elon is no longer affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Elon University's mission statement states that the school "embraces its founders' vision of an academic community that transforms mind, body, and spirit and encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience" and emphasizes its commitment to "nurture a rich intellectual community characterized by student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment".

On October 9, 2017, the university's board of trustees elected Constance "Connie" Ledoux Book as the ninth president of the university. She became Elon's first female president on March 1, 2018.

On September 16, 2025, Elon University announced its merger with Queens University of Charlotte. Their accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), approved the merger in June 2026, leaving Elon University in full control of Queens as its "sole member." From July 1, Elon began integrating certain administrative departments, with the full merger of both institutions expected to be completed in 2027–28.

Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

The Martha and Spencer Love School of Business offers undergraduate degrees in accounting, business administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management, and marketing.

Facilities

Elon's sports facilities include two gymnasiums, Schar Center, Walter C. Latham Baseball Park, Rhodes Stadium, Rudd Field, Hunt Softball Park, Alumni Field House, Koury Field House, Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track and Field Complex (named in honor of humorist and speaker Jeanne Robertson who had been an Elon trustee, and her husband, "Left Brain"), six club athletic fields, Worseley Golf Center, and Koury Center, which features the 2,400 seat Alumni Gym, an aerobic fitness center, a weight room, racquetball courts, an indoor pool, and a dance studio.

The Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, a twelve-court complex, won an "Outstanding Facility Award" from the United States Tennis Association.

The 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) facility at the north end of Rhodes Stadium in the North Athletics Complex is the headquarters for Phoenix athletics. Construction was completed on the 5,100-seat Schar Center in 2018. The Schar Center is the home to Elon's basketball and volleyball programs.