Northwest Nazarene University

Northwest Nazarene University is a private Christian university located in Nampa, Idaho, in the Boise metropolitan area. Affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, it offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across the liberal arts, sciences, education, business, nursing, and ministry. Founded in 1913, the institution has evolved from a small holiness school into a comprehensive university serving traditional undergraduates as well as adult and graduate learners. Students are often drawn to Northwest Nazarene University for its integration of faith and learning, small class settings, and residential campus environment. The university also provides online programs and maintains regional accreditation, supporting a broad range of academic and professional pathways.

Northwest Nazarene University was founded in 1913 in Nampa, Idaho, when Eugene Emerson organized the Idaho Holiness School to provide Christian education for local families. High school and college courses were added within two years, and in 1916 H. Orton Wiley was elected as the first president. The institution became a degree-granting liberal arts college in 1917 and was known as Northwest Nazarene College for much of the twentieth century. Northwest Nazarene University achieved junior college accreditation in 1930 and four-year accreditation in 1937, becoming the first accredited college affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Master’s programs were introduced in the early 1970s, and the university added its first doctoral program in 2011. In 1999, Northwest Nazarene College officially became Northwest Nazarene University, reflecting its expanded academic scope and mission in higher education.