[3] The institution was founded in 1958, established as a result of the merger of Flora MacDonald College in Red Springs (est.

[4] The name reflected its Scottish Presbyterian heritage and identified it with the University of St Andrews in Scotland.

[4] A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 15, 1959, followed shortly by the construction of a campus on an 800-acre location on the south side of Laurinburg.

[4] First offered as a required freshman-level two-term course in natural sciences, the STMS developed into a broad interdisciplinary program that connected various scientific disciplines.

St. Andrews, along with many other colleges across the United States, experienced political and social unrest on campus stemming from the unpopular Vietnam War coupled with the rising cost of education, the economic recession, and the 1973 oil crisis.

In 2007, St. Andrews added online programs designed to provide degree and certificate options.

Two years later, the university became a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Consortium (SOC) and received national recognition as a military-friendly institution.

[4] In July 2011, following accreditation issues, St. Andrews and Webber International University announced a merger of the two institutions.

[7] In September 2011, the college's president, Paul Baldasare Jr., class of 1977,[8] announced the intention to change the name to "St. Andrews University" during the campus' Founders' Day celebration.

In 1990, St. Andrews launched its first satellite campus in Pinehurst at Sandhills Community College for adult learners.

[citation needed] St. Andrews offers non-traditional students the opportunity to pursue degrees in Business Administration, Equine Business Management, Elementary Education, Liberal Studies, and courses leading to teacher certification, in an online, traditional classroom, or blended format.

The judge directed that judgment be entered in favor of the association, and dismissed the lawsuit filed by St.

[16] In April 2011, Webber International University filed a substantive change form to add St. Andrews Presbyterian College as an additional instructional location, providing a merger for the two institutions.

Following the filing, the accreditation of St. Andrews was extended through July 31, 2011, to allow for SACSCOC to render a decision on the application during the annual meeting.

[17] During the June 2011 SACSCOC meeting, the association approved the plan by Webber International University to add St. Andrews as an additional instructional location.

This merger of Webber International University and St. Andrews resolved the accreditation concern with SACSCOC.

The institution is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) since the 2012–13 academic year;[21][22][23] while its swimming and wrestling teams compete in the Mid-South Conference (MSC).

[24] Prior returning to the NAIA, The Knights formerly competed in the Conference Carolinas (CC) of the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1988–89 to 2011–12.