American Baptist College

Private · TN

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationTN · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads46

Student:faculty5:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate27.8%

6-yr grad rate38.9%

Drop-out rate0%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$14k

Out-of-state tuition$14k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity100%

Gender diversity41.3%

International2.2%

IdentityHBCU · Baptist

Overview

American Baptist College is a small historically Black Baptist college in Nashville with an outsized place in American civil rights history. In the late 1950s and early 1960s its students — including John Lewis — trained in the philosophy and tactics of nonviolent direct action and went on to lead Nashville's sit-ins and the Freedom Rides. The college remains a faith-centered institution, but that history is central to how it presents itself and how it is remembered.

Academics

The core curriculum centers on theology, ministry, and biblical studies, increasingly paired with programs in social justice leadership and community engagement that draw an explicit line from the school's activist history to present-day coursework. Class sizes are small, and instruction is oriented toward preparing students for pastoral, nonprofit, or advocacy careers rather than a broad liberal-arts spread of majors.

After graduation

Many graduates move into ministry, church leadership, and nonprofit or social-justice-oriented work, often within Black church networks the college has served for well over a century. The Lewis-era civil rights connection also gives American Baptist a recognition and alumni pride disproportionate to its small size.

Worth knowing

The college's civil rights legacy is not just history — campus life and mission statements actively invoke the Nashville Student Movement, and visiting speakers and programming frequently connect that era to current social-justice work. It is a small, faith-centered environment first and a civil-rights landmark second, though the two are deeply intertwined in its identity.

abcnash.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying