One of “The Best Small College Areas to Live and Study”

From engaging with Asheville community organizations and citizens through service to showcasing their craft at the semi-annual Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) to utilizing alumni relationships at local farms and businesses for internships and jobs, students blur the line between Asheville and Warren Wilson daily.

You Don’t Have to Choose

The city. Or the mountains. When you go to Warren Wilson, you don’t have to choose. Asheville has all the arts, culture, and professional opportunities you seek from a city. And when you get back to campus, you’ll be surrounded by one of the most beautiful campus’ in the country. It’s the best of both worlds, so you don’t have to choose.

Our Alumni Connection

The successes of Asheville and Warren Wilson have been, and will continue to be, the same. Our mutual influence is vast and due in part to the loyalty of WWC alumni to Asheville. When you’re in town, we encourage you to seek out and visit our alumni at their places of business. Here are just a handful of the many connections between WWC and local business:

Getting Here

Asheville has a regional airport (AVL) with direct flights to 26 cities including Baltimore, Miami, Denver, Charlotte, Chicago, and New York City. The Asheville airport is about 20 minutes from campus. Many families also fly into Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT) or Greenville Spartanburg (GSP), which are 2 hours and 90 minutes away, respectively.

“Best to Live and Study”

It’s no secret why University Business ranked Asheville number nine on its “50 best small college areas to live and study” list. Asheville offers students countless opportunities for growth, entertainment, and education through its numerous coffee shops, museums, music and art venues, outdoor activities, and stunning mountain views.

downtown asheville
Students in Downtown Asheville

Get Off Campus and Into the City

Asheville combines the progressive, worldly flavor of Austin, Boulder, or Portland with outdoor adventures in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains. Entertainment and vibrant culture are a quick 10-minute drive away. Because every student can bring a car to campus, you’ll have plenty of friends to carpool with. Uber serves campus, and Student Activities has regular shuttles to the city.

fresh produce

Eat Your Way Through Asheville 

Warren Wilson and Asheville share the same philosophy when it comes to food. Farm-to-table is best. You must have vegan options. And when possible, know your farmers. So when you eat your way through Asheville, you’ll be eating fresh food prepared by talented chefs. These are just a few of the reasons Asheville was ranked number one on Yelp’s top US destinations for foodies list in 2020 and 2022. Trust us — you won’t go hungry.

Giving Back

Each year, Warren Wilson students contribute more than 16,000 hours of service to our local communities, including Asheville. During orientation week all new students participate in Service Day, a way for them to give back before they even start classes.

Video Provided by WLOS News 13

My second year I was set up with an internship at Asheville City Schools Foundation. Jay Lively took me under his wing. We took a walk around Martin Luther King Jr street. I learned about the history of Asheville and its schools in that 2 minute walk. If I did not have that walk or Wilson did not have that relationship, I would not have continued to work with Asheville schools. It was important to have partners telling me the feel or history of the place I was serving. That knowledge has helped me recognize triumphs and injustices in the communities I came from and the communities I join.

Patrick Downing ’16, Social Work