5 things to know about Queens University as the college prepares for Elon merger

Queens University of Charlotte and Elon University will soon become one.

University leaders announced the switch Tuesday, Sep. 16, saying the two institutions will merge in August 2026, The Charlotte Observer reported.

“We met in March with the strategic growth committees and started with this conversation around collaboration, and we were very excited about the Elon culture with (Elon President) Connie Book’s leadership and Elon just being an impressive university,” Jesse Cureton, acting president for Queens University, told the Observer.

Here’s what you should know about Queen’s University.

Queens used to be an all-women’s school

Before becoming a co-ed liberal arts college, Queens University was the Charlotte Female Institute. The all-women’s college was founded in 1857 and changed its name to The Seminary for Girls in 1891.

The name stuck until 1896 when it became the Presbyterian Female College, then Queens College in 1912.

The school didn’t begin welcoming male students until just after World War II, the university said. Men could attend but weren’t allowed to live on campus. It opened as a co-ed evening college in 1948, but it would take nearly 40 years before Queens was fully co-ed.

The university officially adopted the name Queens University of Charlotte in 2002.

“Although we’ve grown, we still offer an intimate campus where high-caliber faculty can have mentoring relationships with students,” the university’s website says. “In addition to expanding academic offerings, we continue to offer an ever-evolving curriculum that empowers every student to succeed.”

Queens ranks among the best universities in the South

Queens University holds up against comparable colleges in the region, according to U.S. & World Report.

It was ranked #17 on a list of the best regional universities in the South, tying with Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, rankings show. It also landed on a list of the nation’s best value universities, coming in at No. 33.

Forbes ranked it among the nation’s top colleges for 2019.

Queens is a small school in a big city

The most recently available data shows a total enrollment of 1,599 students for fall 2024, a 13% drop from the year before, according to the university’s website.

Undergraduate students accounted for 1,225 of the student body, compared to 374 graduate students, data show. Together, they had a combined 21,729 total credit hours for the fall semester.

Enrollment numbers have continued to decline in recent years, which the university has attributed, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Queens offers a variety of undergraduate degree programs

Queens University touts its strength as a liberal arts institution, but students have a wide variety of degree programs to choose from, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Some of the most popular majors include:

• Health professions and related programs (29% of graduates)
• Business, management, marketing and support services (21% of graduates)
• Biological and biomedical sciences (14% of graduates)
• Communication, journalism (6% of graduates)
• Psychology (5% of graduates)

It has produced notable alumni

Noteworthy alumni of Queens University include a Paralympic swimmer, actor and even Charlotte’s own mayor, the Observer reported.

Here’s a list, just to name a few:

• Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles (Class of 1973)
• Tanner Jacobson: Major League Baseball draftee, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher.
• Conrad Ricamora: Actor best known for his portrayal of Oliver Hampton on ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” (Class of 2001)
• Cindy Wolfe: Chief operating officer at Bank OZK (Class of 1988)
• Chuck Wendig: Author, comic book writer, screenwriter and blogger. (Class of 1998)
• Hannah Aspden: Paralympic gold medalist in Para Swimming. (Class of 2022)
• Chyna Blackmon: Reporter for The Raleigh News & Observer and Charlotte Observer (Class of 2018)
• Betsy Byars: Newberry Award-winning children’s book author. (Class of 1950)

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 11:06 AM with the headline "5 things to know about Queens University as the college prepares for Elon merger."

Tanasia Kenney

Sun Herald

Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.