Lenoir–Rhyne University is a co-educational, private liberal arts university founded in 1891 and located in Hickory, North Carolina, USA. The university is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In 2010-2011 Lenoir-Rhyne enrolled approximately 1,900 students of which 1,447 were undergraduate with a gender distribution of 35.4 percent male students and 64.6 percent female students. 55.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 45.0 percent of students live off campus. Lenoir-Rhyne University is part of the NCAA II athletic conference. In 2011 the U.S. News & World Report rankings placed the university 11th in the South in the category Best Comprehensive Colleges – Bachelor’s. Lenoir-Rhyne University was ranked first in North Carolina in its category in its America’s Best Colleges issue. In 2005, Lenoir-Rhyne University was also selected as a "College of Distinction" by Colleges of Distinction based on student engagement, quality teaching, community, and successful outcomes. Lenoir-Rhyne University enrolls approximately 1,900, 13% of which are minorities.