Warren Wilson College, a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, N.C., has received a $10 million gift, the largest in the college’s history. Made by anonymous donors whose values around education and environmental sustainability align with the College’s, the gift will support the endowment, increasing it by nearly 20%.
“These donors’ generosity is inspiring. Their gift will be instrumental in advancing our hands-on, action-based education, which focuses on real-world problem solving and empowers graduates to live lives of purpose in service to the common good,” said President Damián J. Fernández, Ph.D., who joined the College on June 1, 2023. “We have made impressive progress toward this goal in the past 18 months; this is an investment in the future of Warren Wilson College and is a powerful vote of confidence.”
Since June 2023 the College has:
● Developed a Strategic Action Framework that culminated in Our Progressive Promise: Education in Action for the Common Good, a roadmap to advance access and excellence in experiential education combining academics, work, and community engagement.
● Redefined the curriculum to be the first college in the U.S. to promise hands-on, community-engaged courses, professional experiences in our Work Program, a capstone research, field study or creative project, and an internship for every student in every major.
● Established land conservation easements that—in partnership with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy—will forever protect 600 acres of Warren Wilson College land, which has some of the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world.
● Created a new, low-residency Masters of Science in Applied Climate Studies, which builds on the College’s decades-long legacy of leadership in climate change action and the strength of our undergraduate environmental programs. Hard-hit by Hurricane Helene, our campus and surrounding community is an epicenter for the study of climate change impacts.
● Launched Climate Action Now, a multi-year, College-wide initiative, which will provide the opportunity for our students to become leading stewards in addressing one of the most pressing issues of our times and presents significant opportunities for community-engaged research around post-Hurricane Helene recovery in the region.
● Lowered the advertised tuition price by 40% to $25,500 for Fall 2025 as part of the College’s commitment to access and transparency. About 40% of the College’s students are Pell-eligible, and the price reduction is meant to show more students that Warren Wilson’s high impact, purpose-driven education is within their reach.
● Reimagined our role as a Work College. Warren Wilson is one of only eight federally-recognized work colleges. The College is reimagining for these times how the student experience in the Work Program, and across the curriculum, strengthens career readiness while aligning with employer needs and entrepreneurial opportunities.
● Received national honors from: Second Nature, which gave the College a Climate Luminary Award for the efforts of the Center for Working Lands; the 2025 Fiske Guide to Colleges, in which the College was named a “Best Buy” college; U.S. News and World Report 2025 Best Colleges, which named Warren Wilson a top-20 school in the nation for community engagement and service learning; and the 2025 Princeton Review, which included the College on its “Best South” and “Green Colleges” lists.
“The tremendous work of our Board, faculty, staff, and students has generated momentum to re-envision an education that combines academics, work, and service for real-world impact. We have enhanced value, reduced our price, and improved student outcomes,” Fernández said. “With this transformative investment, we are emboldened to continue our work to deepen our academic strengths, extend our reach into Asheville and Western North Carolina, and continue preparing students to lead positive change.”
Jean Wright Veilleux, Chair of the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees, said: “Since its founding as the Asheville Farm School in 1894, Warren Wilson has demonstrated that a small college can have a big impact on students, communities, and the world. Our friends recognize our contributions to the planet and want to invest in them. This gift will do just that: amplify our distinctive excellence in learning-by-doing in environmental sciences, the arts, and human and social fields.”
Written by Warren Wilson College.