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Asbury University is a private, four-year, multi-denominational, Christian institution located in Wilmore, Kentucky. Established in 1890, Asbury University came into existence as the fulfillment of a pledge made by the Reverend John Wesley, a Methodist evangelist. Originally named the Kentucky Holiness College and founded in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition, the school was soon renamed Asbury College in honor of the Bishop Francis Asbury, the founder of American Methodism. It was not until 2010 that the school took on its current name of Asbury University, which was adopted in order to better reflect the institution’s growth and achievement as well as its continued planned expansion.
Academic Programs
Asbury University’s mission is to equip students “through academic excellence and spiritual vitality, for lifelong learning, leadership and service to the professions, society, the family and the Church, preparing them to engage their cultures and advance the cause of Christ around the world.” The University is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has been so since 1940.Asbury University offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs, including more than 50 undergraduate majors, Adult Professional Studies (the University’s adult degree completion program), and several master’s degrees in education (including alternative certification programs). Asbury University is comprised of several schools, including the College of Arts & Sciences which encompasses the departments of humanities, business and sciences; the Howard Dayton School of Business, which is also home to the Sports Management program; the School of Communication Arts; the School of Education; and the School of Graduate & Professional Studies which offers master’s degrees in social work and in education as well as the University’s adult degree completion programs.
Student Life
Asbury University has a total enrollment figure of approximately 2,000, including more than 1,600 undergraduate students. Representatives from nearly all states in the Union as well as from nearly 20 foreign nations are present in Asbury’s student body, with international students making up about 3% of students. On-campus student housing is available and more than 80% of students choose to live on campus. Asbury University does not divide students by class and upperclassmen and student staff live throughout the University’s several residence halls.Opportunities for students at Asbury University abound with a variety of student-led clubs and organizations, intercultural programs, campus ministries, intramural sports, Adventure Leadership and more. These and other campus events and activities provide students with ample opportunity to interact with one another outside of the classroom and to develop valuable leadership skills. A member of the NAIA Division II, Asbury University fields a variety of intercollegiate teams including soccer, basketball, tennis, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, swimming and diving, women’s volleyball and softball, and men’s baseball.