Founded in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School and affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, Northwest Nazarene University is a premier private Christian university located in Nampa, Idaho. Spanning an attractive 90-acre suburban campus in the Treasure Valley featuring brick academic halls, manicured lawns, and mature trees, NNU connects Christian liberal arts traditions with engineering, business, nursing, and education. You can examine its founding charter, Nazarene heritage, and campus evolution through the Northwest Nazarene University Wikipedia historical entry.
When you study at NNU, you enter a supportive academic setting characterized by small class sizes, direct faculty mentorship, and active spiritual formation. Living in Nampa places you 20 miles west of Boise in a fast-growing agricultural and technology region.
Premier Academic Programs
NNU organizes its instruction across specialized colleges holding top regional reputations:
- School of Business: AACSB-accredited business school famous for corporate finance, accounting, global business, and marketing. Explore degree options on the NNU School of Business portal.
- Department of Engineering and Physics: ABET-accredited engineering program specializing in electrical, mechanical, and agricultural systems.
- Department of Nursing: Prepares clinical nurses and healthcare managers through state-of-the-art simulation laboratories.
- College of Education: Prepares compassionate teachers, counselors, and educational administrators across the Pacific Northwest.
- Department of Biology: Delivers hands-on undergraduate research in pre-medical sciences, genetics, and ecology.
"To Seek and To Serve, the foundational motto of Northwest Nazarene University, guides student character."
Campus Culture and Mascot
Your daily student experience centers on the Wiley Learning Center, the Brandt Center for the Arts, and the Leah Peterson Learning Commons. School spirit revolves around Leo the Nighthawk, the energetic mascot representing NNU Nighthawks athletic teams in NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference sports. You can read about spirit traditions and mascot history on the official NNU Nighthawks Athletics portal. Cheering inside the Johnson Sports Center for basketball games, attending campus chapel services, and joining over 60 student clubs creates a close-knit campus culture.
Research Infrastructure and Space Hardware
NNU operates an active applied research framework highlighted by student-built CubeSat satellite launches with NASA:
- NNU Robotics and Space Lab: Engineering research lab that successfully built and launched CubeSat satellites into Earth orbit.
- Center for Academic Innovation: Fosters digital learning research, instructional design, and global educational technology. Learn more via NNU Research Operations.
- Treasure Valley Ecology Project: Conducts field research in river conservation, native plant species, and agricultural water quality.
Notable Alumni Legacy
You walk in the footsteps of public servants, corporate executives, medical leaders, and authors, including:
- Kent R. Hill: Former Administrator of USAID for Global Health and university president who earned his degree at NNU.
- Richard H. Harris: Renowned corporate executive and philanthropist who supported educational technology expansion.
- Gary Thomas: Prominent author and speaker on Christian ethics and spiritual formation who graduated from NNU.
- Donna Cox: Acclaimed artist, scientific visualization pioneer, and professor who studied art at NNU.
NNU provides generous merit scholarship coverage and need-based financial aid for domestic and international students. Review full admission standards on the official NNU Admissions portal.