who we are
Academic Excellence & Spiritual Vitality
Since its founding in 1890, Asbury is built on a legacy of equipping students to impact the world for Christ. With a motto of “Academic Excellence & Spiritual Vitality,” our nationally recognized non-denominational Christian university offers more than 130 areas of traditional undergraduate in-person study, plus online undergraduate degrees and degree completion, graduate degrees, and high school dual-enrollment programs. In a caring and supportive community, Asbury encourages its students to study, worship and serve together on a campus located 20 minutes southwest of Lexington in beautiful Wilmore, Ky. Take a virtual tour, come visit us, or hear what our students have to say.
Asbury provides many opportunities for student involvement both on and off campus, such as professional internships, real-world scientific research with faculty, exclusive study abroad opportunities, mentorship, travel courses, and Cross-Cultural Engagement (CCE). Missions and community service opportunities are also integral to our culture and are part of the curriculum in nearly every major.
Asbury University is a Christian Liberal Arts University in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition that equips students, through academic excellence and spiritual vitality, for lifelong learning, leadership and service to the professions, society, the family and the Church, preparing them to engage their cultures and advance the cause of Christ around the world.
With God’s grace and the hard work of our faculty and staff, our graduates will belong, become and be set apart.
Hear more about us from the People who know us best!
To meet our exceptional Faculty & Staff, visit the Directory.
Our students come from 44 states and 39 countries.
of Asbury’s traditional undergraduate students live on campus, experiencing the whole-person development that Asbury offers.
of our 2024-25 experienced faculty and lecturers hold terminal degrees in their field of study.
of incoming traditional undergraduate students can attend an all-expenses-paid Set Apart Retreat, a life-changing biblical worldview trip.
More than 23,000 living alumni of the University surround the globe, leading and serving in all 50 states and at least 80 nations.
An Asbury education is holistic; integrating academic excellence and spiritual vitality, grounded in our historical founding purposes and faith commitment. Our faculty and staff seek to equip students to become tomorrow’s leaders through transformative experiences in Asbury’s strong, relevant academic programs rooted in the best of Western thought, while fostering academic and professional excellence. Our goal is to empower students to influence the global society through occupation, family, and the Church by cultivating a keen mind, a servant’s heart, and a solid faith.
Excellence is at the core of the Asbury experience, and our students benefit from world-class training from faculty in an enriching liberal arts curriculum.
With a 12:1 student/faculty ratio, Asbury provides personal investment and world-class expertise in a community that prioritizes critical thinking. Research opportunities like the SEARCH Symposium and the COMAP Math Modeling Contest hone academic skills, and you’ll also benefit from unique professional and research opportunities. As just one example, Media Communication students have worked in paid positions at more than 12 Olympic games. Within two months of graduation, 98 percent of our graduates are employed or in graduate school — a powerful testament to the quality of their preparation at Asbury. See more of what Asbury academics will offer you here.
Asbury University is a Christian liberal arts institution which upholds a long-standing commitment to Christian orthodoxy and an evangelical Wesleyan-Arminian perspective. While the University is nondenominational, all students are encouraged to fully engage in campus spiritual life and commit to living within the university’s faith-based guidelines.
Asbury’s mission is rooted in the Wesleyan belief that God’s grace, through Jesus Christ, can transform lives, leading to holiness and service for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. From the start, Asbury sought to offer rigorous education and spiritual growth to diverse students, gaining a global reputation by the early 20th century. Today, it continues this legacy, serving students worldwide under the guiding principle that “the connected world is our parish.”
The university emphasizes both academic excellence and spiritual vitality. Community is central to this mission, with opportunities through Chapel and on-campus ministry to grow spiritually alongside any academic track you choose (traditional, online, hybrid, and graduate). Asbury is committed to fostering personal growth, servant leadership, and holiness throughout life.
Asbury welcomes students who have not come to that faith but are respectful of the institution and its mission.