Brenau University, the educational institution for women in Gainesville, Georgia, has the largest first-year class in the college’s history. There are 215 women in this year’s entering class, up from 176 a year ago. This is a an increase of more than 22 percent.
Some university programs do not begin until September. But the university expects total enrollments to be in the range of 860 and 875 students. Total enrollments are expected to increase by 2 to 3 percent. Men are accepted into programs at regional campuses and for online degree programs but the residential college in Gainesville enrolls only women.
The college was founded in 1878 as the Georgia Baptist Female Seminary. In 1900 the college was renamed Brenau, a linguistic blend formed from the German word brennen, “to burn,” and the Latin aurum, “gold.” The college’s motto is “As Gold Refined by Fire.”