Located in North Carolina's Piedmont region, Elon is situated on a 656-acre (265 ha) suburban campus between the cities of Greensboro and Raleigh.

Elon College was founded by the Christian Connection, which later became a part of the United Church of Christ.

Many of the buildings that were erected in the years following the fire still stand and make up the bedrock of Elon's campus.

[4] By the year 2000, about 68 percent of Elon's students came from out-of-state and were only accepted if they met high academic standards.

[7][8] Elon University's mission statement states that the school "embraces its founders' vision of an academic community that transforms mind, body, and spirit and encourages freedom of thought and liberty of conscience" and emphasizes its commitment to "nurture a rich intellectual community characterized by student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment.

"[9] On October 9, 2017, the Elon Board of Trustees elected Constance "Connie" Ledoux Book as the ninth president of the university.

Former United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the Dedication Address on September 19, 2006.

[21] U.S. News & World Report ranks Elon tied for #133 overall among national universities and as #1 in the country for "Best Undergraduate Teaching."

Elon students come from 46 states and 49 countries; the leading suppliers of undergraduates are North Carolina, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Maryland.

[1] Elon's 17 varsity sports teams, known as the Phoenix, joined the NCAA's Division I Colonial Athletic Association on July 1, 2014, after a decade in the Southern Conference.

Intercollegiate sports include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, and tennis for men, and basketball, cross-country, golf, indoor track, outdoor track, soccer, softball, tennis, lacrosse, and volleyball for women.

Campus Recreation offers intramural and club sports programs, such as baseball, cycling, lacrosse, flag football, equestrian, swimming, rugby union, triathlon, water skiing, ice hockey and Ultimate Frisbee.

During Winter Term the intramurals include bowling, arena football, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, and a monster golf tournament.

[29] The nickname was chosen due to Elon's proximity to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Guilford Quakers, and the Duke Blue Devils.

Elon's sports facilities include two gymnasiums, Schar Center, Walter C. Latham Baseball Park, Rhodes Stadium, Rudd Field, Hunt Softball Park, Alumni Field House, Koury Field House, Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track and Field Complex (named in honor of humorist and speaker Jeanne Robertson who had been an Elon trustee, and her husband, "Left Brain"), six club athletic fields, Worseley Golf Center, and Koury Center, which features the 2,400 seat Alumni Gym, an aerobic fitness center, a weight room, racquetball courts, an indoor pool, and a dance studio.

[34] Elon's historic campus is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, adjacent to Burlington, a city of 50,000.

One of Elon Student Televisions' shows run in large-part by Joey Gizzi and Steven Lannum, "Elon After Hours," would later become AreYouKiddingTV: an internet challenge and entertainment social media account mainly popular on Tik Tok and YouTube.

[46] Elon worked closely with the Interfaith Youth Core in developing religious diversity and interreligious dialogue.