Asbury University

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Seek Spiritually-Informed, Service-Oriented Degrees at Asbury

Asbury University appears in our ranking of the Top 60 Most Affordable Accredited Online Christian Colleges and Universities.

Divided into five colleges with 84.6 percent retention, Asbury University maintains a 13:1 learner-faculty ratio for Christian liberal arts education in 52 bachelor’s and seven master’s majors. For example, the 124-credit B.S. in Social Work trains community catalysts by blending eight-week online Adobe Connect courses and 320 internship hours. Advised by Dr. David Coulliette, the 2018 KYMMA Teaching Award recipient, the B.A. in Actuarial Mathematics follows a 124-credit Wilmore sequence for computational expertise. The 124-credit B.A. in Journalism ties daytime courses like Broadcast Production with hands-on practice on The Collegian and WACW Radio. Leading to Kentucky Rank 1 certification, the M.A. in English as a Second Language produces bilingual P-12 teachers with a 36-credit, CAEP-accredited curriculum online. Other opportunities include the B.S. in Leadership & Ministry, B.A. in Church Music, B.A. in Equine Studies, B.S. in Biochemistry, M.B.A. in Nonprofit Management, and M.F.A. in Screenwriting.

About Asbury University

Asbury University originated on September 2, 1890, when Vanderbilt alum and Methodist minister Rev. John Wesley Hughes began the Kentucky Holiness College at only age 38. In 1891, its inaugural class of 75 men and women enrolled at the 23-room Main Street school. Four years later, it was renamed to honor Bishop Francis Asbury who spread Methodism during the Second Great Awakening. In 1910, the Pentecostal Herald’s editor, Dr. Henry Clay Morrison, took power and divided Asbury from its Theological Seminary. During Z.T. Johnson’s 1940s tenure, the 739-acre Wilmore campus along the Kentucky River Palisades started taking shape. Racially integrated since 1962, Asbury College gained university status for master’s education on March 5, 2010. Endowed for $27.6 million, Asbury University serves 1,956 Eagles from 35 nations with 30+ clubs like One Mission Society as a private CCCU member.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Asbury the 14th best southern university, 15th top undergrad teacher, and 29th best value with one of the 291 top online graduate programs nationally. On Niche, Asbury boasts America’s 43rd best dorms, 57th best communications department, 70th top religious studies, and 113rd safest campus. Times Higher Education placed Asbury University among its 800 best overall. Forbes named Asbury the 332nd top private institution with the South’s 117th best degrees. Money magazine crowned Asbury the 677th best buy garnering a mid-career salary of $76,300 on PayScale. College Factual noticed Asbury for the 72nd best journalism, 118th top foreign language, and 73rd best recreation programs. WalletHub applauded Asbury University for the country’s 250th best educational outcomes and 317th most faculty resources. The Social Mobility Index positioned Asbury 446th while Washington Monthly picked it 297th.

Asbury University Accreditation Details

In Spring 2019, Asbury University faces another in-depth institutional review from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to renew the Level IV accreditation for 10 more years under its 17th president, Dr. Sandra C. Gray, a World Gospel Mission and Christianity Today Board member. Located 383 miles south via Interstate 75 in Decatur, this nonprofit 11-state Appalachian Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to evaluate for Federal Title-IV eligibility. Specifically, the School of Education was accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) in October 2015. The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences earned Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) accreditation through October 2024. The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) also first approved Asbury University on September 1, 1978.

Asbury University Application Requirements

Attending Asbury University is considered “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 777 of the 1,105 Fall 2017 applicants were triumphant for just 70 percent acceptance. First-year Eagles enter after finishing a secondary diploma, homeschool program, or GED test. High school preparation should entail four years of English and Math, including Algebra. Freshman standards require cumulative GPAs over 2.5 during grades 9-12. Good standing relies on a minimum 1020 SAT or 22 ACT score. Undergrads holding 30 semester or 45 quarter credits graded “C” or higher already are deemed transfers. Accelerated online programs like the B.S. in Instructional Design accept a maximum 75 credits. TOEFL scores below 80 iBT or 550 pBT require the English Language Institute. The Graduate Admissions Office seeks motivated bachelor’s holders meeting the qualifying 2.75 GPA. Twenty-month MBA cohorts must exceed 40 on the Peregrine Inbound Assessment Exam. The M.A. in Digital Storytelling needs a 150 Verbal and 143 Quantitative GRE score or better. School of Education M.A. entrants must be certified P-12 teachers with passing Praxis marks.

Asbury University generally doesn’t have specific deadlines for enrollment. However, the Paris Semester has a priority date of February 18th yearly. The Master of Business Administration only stays open until August 3rd for Fall and December 12th for Spring too. Interested students file the Common Application or Asbury Application online for free. Printable versions could be returned to One Macklem Drive in Wilmore, KY 40390 also. Self-report test scores using ACT code 1486 or SAT code 1019. Supplemental items include the transcript copy, 250-word personal essay, Community Life Affirmation statement, three references, Peregrine link, and work experience résumé. Please contact (859) 858-3511 or [email protected] with further questions.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Asbury University will charge traditional full-time undergrads $15,327 each term or $30,654 annually. Mandatory student fees add $298 per year. Living at the Jessamine County campus’ dorms like Kresge Hall costs $2,512 to $2,987 each semester. Standard meal plans for Pioneer College Caterers are $1,616 extra. Asbury budgets $1,275 for textbooks and $2,850 for other necessities. Annual bachelor’s attendance is $40,575 on-site and $33,100 at home. Online degree completion options are priced $399 per credit. The School of Education bills post-graduates $475 per credit. Communication M.A. and M.S.W. options cost $595 per credit. Master of Business Administration cohorts pay slightly more at $611 per credit.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Hager Administration Hall gifts average assistance of $13,540 and $21.08 million combined for 95 percent of full-time Asbury Eagles. University funds include the Presidential Scholarship, Salvation Army Scholarship, JPL Indian Springs Scholarship, Faith & Learning Scholarship, Howard & Beverly Dayton Scholarship, Theatre Scholarship, Athletic Scholarship, Music Performance Scholarship, Harry Hosier Scholarship, and Jose Velazquez Scholarship. The Emerging Leader-Scholar Program awards $5,000 yearly for active undergrads with minimum 3.0 GPAs. The $4,000 Windgate Art & Design Scholarship has an April 1st deadline for majors like the B.A. in Pre-Art Therapy. Scholarships from churches are automatically matched up to $1,000. Federal Pell and FSEOG Grant coverage is determined using FAFSA applications coded 001952. Federal Work-Study positions, such as the America Reads Program, deliver biweekly paychecks. Lifetime limits for Federal William Ford Direct loans are $31,000 to $57,500. Kentucky residents also rely on the College Access Program, Scholarship for Educational Excellence, and Mary Jo Young Scholarship.

Search through 14 academic departments delivering flexible, faithful degrees at the Asbury University website.