Mission Statement:

Mount Vernon Nazarene University exists to shape lives through educating the whole person and cultivating Christ-likeness for lifelong learning and service.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University, established by the Church of the Nazarene, opened its doors in 1968 and serves the denomination’s East Central Region. The University offers liberal arts, professional, and graduate education at its main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio as well as at multiple regional campuses.

MVNU’s educational philosophy and purpose are shaped by its Wesleyan-Arminian holiness theological roots, informed by the Bible, focused on Christ-likeness in every aspect of life, and defined by an emphasis on loving God with all of one’s heart, mind, soul, and strength, as well as one’s neighbor’s as one’s self. Students are nurtured and empowered through caring relationships with faculty, staff, and administrators; challenged to be a devoted disciple of Christ; drawn toward discovery of wisdom and truth in every discipline of study; prepared for leadership in various professions; equipped to be lifelong learners; and sent into the world to live out their faith by offering their hearts and lives in service to God and others.