Olivet Nazarene University

Private · Moderately Selective · IL

Photo: Masonsherrill22 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIL · Midwest

SettingSuburban

Undergrads2,603

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate52.8%

6-yr grad rate60.8%

Drop-out rate29.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$39k

Out-of-state tuition$39k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity40.8%

Gender diversity54.1%

International2.1%

IdentityChurch of the Nazarene

Overview

Olivet Nazarene University is a private Christian university in Bourbonnais, Illinois, south of Chicago, owned by and affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Faith integration is explicit and constant across campus life — chapel, Christian-formation coursework, and a denominational identity shape the student experience well beyond a single religion department.

Academics

Engineering is a notable strength for a school of Olivet's size and religious character — it is one of relatively few Nazarene-affiliated universities offering accredited engineering degrees. Nursing and education are also large, well-established programs, and the university generally frames its curriculum, including business and the sciences, within a Christian-worldview approach.

Campus & student life

The campus sits in a small city south of Chicago, close enough for internships and city access but functioning as its own self-contained residential community. The Chicago Bears held summer training camp on campus for decades, which was a well-known point of local and regional visibility for the university even though the team has since moved on.

Getting in

Applicants are expected to affirm compatibility with the university's Christian mission as part of the process, and church and community involvement often appear in applications alongside academics. It is not an especially formula-driven admissions process, but fit with the university's faith commitments matters in ways a secular school's application would not ask about.

Worth knowing

Chapel attendance and a visible, denominationally grounded campus culture are a real and expected part of daily life, not a token requirement — students should understand Olivet's Nazarene identity is central rather than incidental before enrolling.

olivet.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate55.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 950–1220 · ACT 19–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying