Asbury University

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Asbury University is a private Christian university in Wilmore, Kentucky, United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement<ref name="Winn2007">Template:Cite book</ref> and is a member of the Wesleyan Holiness Connection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The school offers 50-plus majors across 17 departments. In the fall of 2016, Asbury University had a total enrollment of 1,854: 1,640 traditional undergraduate students and 214 graduate students.<ref name="enrollment" /> The campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, which became a separate institution in 1922, is located across the street from Asbury University.

History

The Old Asbury Building (in white) was the first building, serving as the single schoolhouse for education. It is now used for prayer and meditation.
The administration building
The Kinlaw Library
Miller Center for Media Communications
The Student Center

Asbury College was established on September 2, 1890, by John Wesley Hughes in Wilmore, Kentucky.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was originally called Kentucky Holiness College, but the following year was renamed after Bishop Francis Asbury, a circuit-riding evangelist known as the "Father of American Methodism". Bishop Asbury had established the first Methodist school in the United States west of the Appalachians, Bethel Academy, in 1790; its site lies near High Bridge, only about four miles (6 km) south of Wilmore.<ref>Thacker, Joseph A., Jr. Asbury College: Vision and Miracle. Nappanee: Evangel, 1900, 19.</ref>

After being pushed out as President of Asbury College in 1905, Hughes went on to found another college, Kingswood College, in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Kingswood College no longer exists. Despite his disappointment over being removed at Asbury, Hughes wrote in his 1923 autobiography:

Being sure I was led of God to establish (Asbury College), it being my college child born in poverty, mental perplexity, and soul agony, I loved it from its birth better than my own life. As the days have come and gone, with many sad and broken-hearted experiences, my love has increased. My appreciation of what it has done, what it is doing, and what it promises to do in the future, is such that I am willing to lay down my life for its perpetuation.

In 1928, Hughes was invited to break ground for Asbury College's new chapel, Hughes Auditorium, which is still in use today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2001 The Kinlaw Library was completed. It was named in honor of Dennis F. Kinlaw and his wife Elsie. It contains over 150,000 items in several collections. There are three floors and most of the collections are on the main and top floors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The college's immediate past president, Sandra C. Gray, was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of Asbury on October 5, 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was the institution's first female president.

On March 5, 2010, Asbury College became Asbury University. The current president is Kevin Brown, a former faculty member of the university's Dayton School of Business.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was inaugurated as the eighteenth president on March 6, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Presidents

Presidents of the institution include:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Academics

Undergraduate admissions

Asbury students come from 44 states and 43 countries. A required essay or personal statement and letters of recommendation are considered for admission.<ref name=admits>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Asbury University accepted 64.1% of undergraduate applicants, with admission standards considered "challenging" and those admitted having an average 3.65 high school GPA. The university does not require submission of standardized test scores, Asbury being test blind school such that standardized scores are "not considered for admission, even if submitted." Those accepted that obtained test scores had an average 1080–1320 SAT score or average 21–28 ACT score.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Faculty and curriculum

Eighty-two percent of the school's faculty hold terminal degrees in their field of study. The university has 59 undergraduate majors and multiple minors and emphases.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Internships, exchange programs, study abroad, cross-culture opportunities, missions, and community service opportunities are available and are part of the curriculum in nearly every major.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Asbury has a large general education liberal arts requirement ranging from 39 to 57 semester hours.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The university also has an Honors Program<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and online programs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The university has a 12:1 student to faculty ratio and a retention rate of 82 percent on average.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Nearly 90 percent of the university's students live on campus.<ref name=admits/>

Programs are divided into five units:

  • College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
  • Dayton School of Business
  • School of Communication Arts
  • School of Education
  • Shaw School of Sciences<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Graduate degrees

Graduate degrees include: Master's in Business Administration, Graduate Education degrees, Master of Arts in Communication, Master of Arts in Digital Storytelling, Master of Arts in Instructional Design, Innovation & Leadership, Master of Fine Arts in Film/TV Production, and Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Infobox US university ranking

Rankings

Out of 136 universities, Asbury University was ranked tied for No.31 in the Regional Universities South category by U.S. News & World Report in their annual Best Colleges rankings in 2025. The institution was also ranked No.14 for Best Value Schools and No.36 in Best Colleges for Veterans both also out of 136 universities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Athletics

The Asbury athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of NCAA Division III, primarily competing as a member of the Collegiate Conference of the South after having completed a transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) at the end of the 2023–24 academic year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Asbury competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports:<ref>Asbury University – Official Athletics Website</ref> Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Club sports include roundnet, disc golf, and pickleball.

Track & field is the university's most recent varsity program, having begun competition in the 2023–24 academic year.<ref>Asbury University to Launch Track & Field in 2023–24 Academic Year</ref>

Move to NCAA Division III

On March 25, 2021, Asbury was approved to begin an expedited three-year transition into NCAA Division III from the NAIA. During the transition it was allowed to compete in Division III, but would not be eligible for any NCAA post-season play until 2024. The school announced it would compete in post-season competitions of the NCCAA during the transition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable alumni

There are more than 20,000 living alumni who live in all 50 US states and at least 80 countries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Notable alumni include:

See also

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References

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Further reading

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