Elon College, founded in 1889, is a church-affiliated, liberal arts college. Its five core experiences (service, leadership, study abroad, undergraduate research and internship) comprise the Elon Experiences and are recorded on a special transcript. Elon ranks number one among master''s-level institutions in the nation in percentage of students who study abroad: 42% of the class of 1998, compared to 1% nationally. 76% completed internships, compared to 26% nationally. 65% of all students volunteered more than 50,000 hours of service, compared to 17% nationally. 21% of all students hold leadership roles. Elon''s 502-acre campus is located west of North Carolina''s primary high-tech region, the Research Triangle.