A Banner Year for ONU: Academic Excellence Recognized and Awarded
Olivet Nazarene University has achieved a series of distinguished accolades and awards in 2024, underscoring the University’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation and dedication to the campus community.
The University was once again honored by the third-party endorsement association Colleges of Distinction for its unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional undergraduate education. For the 10th consecutive year, ONU was also recognized as a 2024–2025 Illinois College of Distinction and as a 2024–2025 Christian College of Distinction.
For the fifth consecutive year, ONU’s McGraw School of Business, School of Nursing, School of Education, and Walker School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics each received recognition for departmental excellence.
The Colleges of Distinction organization has consistently recognized ONU for being at the forefront of American higher education. With a modern, student-centered approach to teaching, Olivet offers a unique learning environment and academic programming that engages students with small class sizes, practical clinical experiences, volunteer projects, global learning opportunities, interdisciplinary programs, collaborative projects, and hundreds of undergraduate research and internship opportunities.
Olivet is also a 2024 US News Best College, as well as a standout for Best Value.
Adding to its accolades, ONU’s McGraw School of Business Master of Business Administration (MBA) program was recognized as the ninth best in the country by Forbes, a leading global media company. This recognition places Olivet among the top ten institutions offering accelerated online MBA programs, underscoring the University’s commitment to providing a high-quality education in a fast-paced business world.
“We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Forbes,” said Dr. Steve Lowe ’88, ONU’s vice president for academic affairs. “Our MBA program is designed to provide a rigorous yet flexible learning experience that meets the needs of today’s professionals. This ranking is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and the continued success of our students.”
Adding to these is the “four-star” rating from Money, a trusted authority in finance, the WalletHub 2024 Best College nod, and two awards for the ONU School of Nursing: the #2 slot in RN-BSN programs in Illinois by RNtoMSN.org, and a US News Best BSN Program rating.
Late this summer, the Walker School of STEM achieved the prestigious CAE-CD designation from the National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense designation. This recognition, awarded by the National Security Agency (NSA), is a mark of excellence that places the program among an elite group of educational institutions.
“While Olivet has maintained a commitment to the core values, principles and mission of “Education with a Christian Purpose,” the continued recognition, awards and accolades from external agencies and organizations only strengthens the stature and quality of the Olivet graduate”, said Susan Wolff, Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
illustration by Noah Sears
