Olivet Nazarene University

• Apply Online
• My Counselor
• Financial Aid
• Undergraduate Costs
• Living On Campus
• Parent Guide
• Printable Forms
• FAQ
• Admissions Events
• Fly On Us
• Enrollment Deposit

Why choose Olivet? Here are 100 reasons we love ONU.

* Reasons in bold are featured in the Olivet Nazarene University viewbook. To request your free copy, click here.

1. We believe. Easily put, Olivet Nazarene University is a place where faith matters.
2. Beyond the classroom. So much of college life happens outside of class.
3. Summer home of the Chicago Bears
4. The Zone electronic game room
5. State of the art fitness center
6. Worshipping together in chapel
7. Building relationships and serving others on mission trips
8. Ollies Follies
9. Experiencing the world through study abroad
10. The Windy City. Just 50 minutes north is Chicago, one of the nation’s finest cities.
11. Passion. Here students not only learn how to make a living; they learn how to live. Since Olivet’s founding, more than 20,000 degrees have been conferred to graduating students. Whether their chosen fields are in medicine, business, education, ministry or a myriad of other professions, Olivetians make a difference in the world for Christ and His kingdom.
12. Student-led worship through Party with Jesus
13. Choral and instrumental ensembles
14. Intramural sports and competitions including basketball, chess, dodgeball, flag football, Rook tournaments, table tennis and wallyball, to name a few
15. Reaching out. Students take center stage, performing for area audiences and students alike.
16. Chat rooms. Every corner of campus becomes a place to discuss the issues of the day.
17. Strickler Planetarium and its laser light shows
18. A chaplain who lets you call him “Chap Daddy”
19. Newly renovated Reed Hall of Science, with observatory and greenhouse
20. Tiger Championship Wrestling (costumes, folding chairs and all)
21. The Eternal (most of the time) Flame
22. President Bowling and the A-Team
23. Reading on a blanket amidst the fall foliage
24. Fine tuning. Developing a skill, artistic or otherwise, is an unforgettable journey.
25. Finding solitude, simplicity and inspiration in Kelley Prayer Chapel
26. Huge, authentic mastodon skull in Reed Hall of Science
27. Winning. At Olivet Nazarene University, champions are trained for success on and off the playing field. Competitors emerge while playing for a national title; they become champions by serving the community around them. Olivet coaches and players understand winning comes from excellence, and character comes from perseverance.
28. Wired. Superior technology is not an option, it’s the standard. Tomorrow’s technology comes alive today
29. Local hangouts like Moon Monkey, Dairy Queen, Hidden Cove, El Burrito Loco, PJ’s Ice Cream and Gala Lanes
30. Homecoming and the giant Homecoming Tiger head hanging over Ludwig
31. Getting in touch with nature at the Kankakee River State Park.
32. Student-led ministry teams
33. Men’s Residential Life and Women’s Residential Life
34. A walk in the park. Green trees and park benches make for a great escape from the daily schedule
35. Mr. ONU talent show
36. Writing, directing and performing a play in just one day for 24-Hour Theater
37. Purpose. Olivet holds the accreditation and approval of the nation’s top associations, including the Higher Learning Commission of the North central Association of Colleges and Schools, the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the American Dietetics Association, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, to name a few.
38. Student DJs on Shine.fm
39. En route. Life matters, and taking time to share it matters too.
40. Laugh-out-loud moments at Orpheus and band variety shows
41. ONU public safety
42. Spoons for Forks improv comedy team
43. Common grounds. Some of the greatest memories are made when we least expect it.
44. Conversations in the gazebo
45. Toby the Tiger
46. Growing together. The college experience is about more than just classrooms and books. In addition to a strong academic program, Olivet Nazarene University offers countless opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. Whether it’s through planned events or day-to-day living, Olivetians are experiencing life to the fullest and building memories to last a lifetime.
47. Mozart matters. Greatness comes in many forms, and at Olivet the old masters still matter.
48. Club sports
49. Developing leadership skills for a lifetime through ROTC
50. Wireless campus and SMART classrooms
51. Active student clubs like Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Capitol Hill Gang, Student Education Association, Diakonia (Social Work club) and more
52. Student showcases in the Brandenburg Art Gallery
53. Sodexho food service
54. Spiritual unity during Makom Fest
55. Student concert series in Common Grounds
56. Pre-released movie nights
57. Focus. A dorm room becomes a chapel – a friend becomes a brother.
58. 100-plus areas of study
59. Coffee in the library
60. Hope and a future. As a Christian community, Olivet is committed to making worship of God the central focus of our lives. Our faith in Jesus Christ cannot be separated from the educational experience, and we seek to honor God in all we learn, say and do.
61. Faculty, friend. Mentors come from all corners of campus when the student is priority one.
62. 17 intercollegiate sports
63. Student gatherings in the Warming House
64. Friends for life. You may not write all the moments down, but you’ll never forget them
65. Nursing internships at two local hospitals
66. School of Graduate and Continuing Studies
67. TV studio and Access ONU
68. Parties in the Quad
69. Throwing away the razors for Beard Month
70. New Doctor of Education in ethical leadership
71. The library’s quiet floor
72. Mission. The Olivet mission is to provide high-quality academic instruction for the purpose of personal development, career and professional readiness and the preparation of individuals for lives of service to God and humanity. “We seek the strongest scholarship and the deepest piety, knowing that they are thoroughly compatible (and) … a Christian environment … where not only knowledge but character is sought.” (Quotation from the Olivet Nazarene University Catalog, 1915)
73. Buying true love during the Date Auction
74. Karaoke in the Red Room
75. Devotions and prayer in the classroom
76. Together as one. Lives are changed and lifelong decisions are made when we gather together.
77. Solitude. With so much going on, a place for peace and quiet is always available.
78. Associated Student Council
79. Spending Tiger Dollars on campus and at local businesses
80. Distinction by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges
81. Connection with the Church of the Nazarene
82. Special fall and winter revival services
83. Dressing formal for Christmas Banquet
84. Late night convenient store
85. Exploration. Faculty members aim to challenge each student, believing they can have an increased impact on the world through excellence in scholarship, logical though and effective communication. Our instructors are seasoned experts in their respective fields, and more than 75 percent of faculty members hold the highest degree possible in their fields.
86. Friends dressing in one theme for the fall costume party
87. Tiger Grill
88. Upperclassmen apartments
89. Spiritual life. In the here and now, life and the spiritual are inseparable.
90. Unplugged. A connected community is more than just a wireless campus.
91. Finding a Christian spouse
92. Accredited majors uncommon for universities of our size or region, such as athletic training, children’s ministries, dietetics, engineering, geology, public policy, sports management and more
93. Network of more than 30,000 alumni
94. The Glimmerglass
95. Discovery. Olivet Nazarene University offers an environment where educational excellence not only exists, but thrives. Employers and graduate schools seek Olivet graduates, for they know a college diploma has greater value when the person who earns it had gained interpersonal skills, self-knowledge, self-esteem and personal integrity.
96. Jogging, rollerblading or taking a picnic at Perry Farm
97. Hosting high school juniors and seniors during Red Carpet Days
98. Nationally renowned speakers and performance artists in chapel
99. Ambition. An individual’s calling means any goal is achievable.
100. You belong here. College is more than books and buildings; it’s a four-year discovery – a journey. At Olivet, we travel that road together.