A desire to educate their children led the founders of Northwest Nazarene University (NNU), under the leadership of Eugene Emerson, to organize an elementary school in 1913. In the ensuing two years, both high school and college courses were added to the curriculum. Thus began NNU, an accredited, Christian, comprehensive university of the arts, humanities, sciences, and professions.
In 1915, the first student graduated from high school, and a year later, Dr. H. Orton Wiley was elected president. The first college degrees were conferred upon a class of four graduates in 1917.
Academic progress has been notable, including accreditation as a junior college in 1930 and as a four-year college in 1937. Master's programs were added in the early 1970's, and the first doctoral program was offered in 2011. The institution transitioned from Northwest Nazarene College to Northwest Nazarene University in 1999.
NNU offers a diverse portfolio of academic programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral levels. In addition to attending programs in person and/or online, NNU provides opportunities for students to engage in study abroad experiences around the world. NNU serves approximately 1,000 undergraduate students, 600 graduate students, 8,500 concurrent credit high school students, and over 8,000 continuing education students each year.