Claflin University

Claflin University is a private, coeducational liberal arts university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1869 and is recognized as the oldest historically Black college or university in South Carolina. Claflin offers undergraduate and selected graduate programs in fields such as business, education, criminal justice, biotechnology, and the sciences. The university emphasizes a residential learning environment and small class sizes. Students drawn to Claflin University often seek a close-knit campus community, a liberal arts foundation, and an institution with deep historical roots in the education of African Americans in the post–Civil War South.

Claflin University was founded in 1869 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, during the Reconstruction era to provide higher education to formerly enslaved people and their descendants. Established by Methodist missionaries and named for Lee Claflin and his son, Massachusetts Governor William Claflin, the institution opened as Claflin College. In 1870, Alonzo Webster was appointed its first president. In 1872, the South Carolina Agricultural and Mechanical Institute was created at Claflin under the Morrill Land-Grant Act, later separating in 1896 to become what is now South Carolina State University. Claflin awarded its first bachelor’s degrees in 1882 and remained affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The institution was renamed Claflin University in 1999, reflecting expanded academic offerings. Over time, Claflin University has developed graduate programs and modern campus facilities while maintaining its historic mission of access and educational advancement.