Northwest Nazarene College

Northwest Nazarene University

Seal of Northwest Nazarene University
Former names	Idaho Holiness School (1913-1916), Northwest Holiness College (1916-1917), Northwest Nazarene College (1917-1999)
Motto	Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God
Type	Private
Established	1913
Affiliation	Nazarene
Endowment	US $21,727,123
President	Joel Pearsall
Students	2,058
Undergraduates	1,332
Postgraduates	726
Location	Nampa, Idaho, United States 43°33′44″N 116°33′55″W / 43.562330°N 116.565220°W / 43.562330; -116.565220Coordinates: 43°33′44″N 116°33′55″W / 43.562330°N 116.565220°W / 43.562330; -116.565220
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Red and black
Athletics	NCAA (GNAC)
Sports	Baseball, Basketball, Cross-Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Nickname	Crusaders
Affiliations	CCCU, NWCCU
Website	www.nnu.edu

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nampa, Idaho, USA.

Eugene Emerson organized a combination grade school and Bible school in 1913 as Idaho Holiness School. It was renamed twice in 1916, first to Northwest Holiness College and then to Northwest Nazarene College, and then became a liberal arts college in 1917 with degree-granting authority from the Idaho state Board of Education. While the first president elected for the college in 1916 was H. Orton Wiley of Pasadena University, Fred J. Shields would fill in as acting president before leaving for the Eastern Nazarene College in 1919, while Wiley finished his graduate work. Under Russell V. DeLong, Northwest Nazarene College (NNC) received educational accreditation, as a two-year school in 1931 and then received accreditation as a four-year school in 1937, making it the first accredited college affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Under Presidents John E. Riley and Kenneth H. Pearsall in the 1960s and 1970s, master's degree programs were added. It was renamed as Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in 1999.

The mission of Northwest Nazarene University is the transformation of the whole person. Centered in Jesus Christ, the NNU education instills habits of heart, soul, mind and strength to enable each student to become God’s creative and redemptive agent in the world.

As one of eight U.S. liberal arts colleges affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, the college receives financial backing from the Nazarene churches on its region; part of each church budget is paid into a fund for its regional school. Each college is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement not to actively recruit outside its respective educational region. NNU is the college for the Northwest Region of the United States, which comprises the Alaska, Washington Pacific, Oregon Pacific, Northwest, Intermountain, Rocky Mountain, and Colorado districts, which include Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Alaska, and parts of Nevada and Utah. NNU is also a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). NNU has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1930, making it the first Nazarene school to achieve an accredited status.