who we are
Academic Excellence & Spiritual Vitality
Since its founding in 1890 by Methodist evangelist Rev. John Wesley Hughes, Asbury has 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.
Asbury is an independent, nondenominational evangelical institution deeply rooted in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Originally named Kentucky Holiness College, it was renamed to honor Bishop Francis Asbury, a key figure in American Methodism and founder of Bethel Academy, the first Methodist school west of the Allegheny Mountains. Asbury reflects its founders’ vision of a Christ-centered education that integrates faith, learning, and living.
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Graduate Admissions
2,086 STUDENTS
Our students come from 44 states and 39 countries.
95%
of Asbury’s traditional undergraduate students live on campus, experiencing the whole-person development that Asbury offers.
90%
of our 2024-25 experienced faculty and lecturers hold terminal degrees in their field of study.
100%
of incoming traditional undergraduate students can attend an all-expenses-paid Set Apart Retreat, a life-changing biblical worldview trip.
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.
Wesleyan-holiness Theology is grounded in the teaching of John Wesley (1703-1791). Wesley and his brother Charles were Oxford-trained, ordained clergymen in the Church of England. While at Oxford, they founded a small group of men who were derisively called by their peers the “Holy Club.”
Asbury’s mission is grounded in Wesley’s theological framework — the “Quadrilateral” of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. This approach permeates the University’s educational philosophy, encouraging students to think critically, reason logically, and enrich their experiences through a holistic integration of faith and academics. Asbury upholds the belief in sanctification through God’s grace, emphasizing that believers can lead lives of holiness, fully devoted to God and free from inward and outward sin, as reflected in John Wesley’s teachings on entire sanctification.
The founders of Asbury believed the Gospel was more than forgiveness of sins; it was a total surrender to God’s call on the believer’s life. This conviction fueled the passion of Wesley Hughes and Henry Clay Morrison, who shaped Asbury into a vibrant institution committed to evangelism, social transformation, and Scriptural holiness.
Asbury University’s presidential cabinet serving under its 18th president, Dr. Kevin Brown, is a committed group of professionals with both deep ties to Asbury and decades of professional experience. Their primary call is faithfulness to Christ, out of which flows their commitment to furthering the mission of Asbury University.
Stewarding this mission of holiness is the responsibility of Asbury’s self-perpetuating Board of Trustees. Charged with safeguarding the university’s legacy, the board ensures that Asbury continues to develop leaders of integrity who pursue Scriptural holiness and exemplify Christian values in all aspects of life.
Asbury University staff and faculty are some of the most capable and caring individuals I have ever had the privilege to serve with. In addition to their high spiritual temperature, holy imagination, and self-expenditure for the sake of others—they are student-centric. That is, they prioritize our student’s intellectual, communal, moral, and spiritual good. Asbury is special because our people are special.
At Asbury University, our offices are standing by to assist you in your college journey. Whether you’re thinking about attending Asbury or already enrolled as a student, you’ll get friendly support and assistance from our staff.
We are glad you are interested in Asbury University. We are here to help you toward your educational goals! We know the process can feel like a lot to manage, but our Admissions Team is the best in the business and knows Asbury better than just about anyone.
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Since 1893, Asbury has graduated over 23,000 men and women who have made significant contributions across diverse fields, including education, business, medicine, law, and ministry. Among its alumni are college presidents, denominational leaders, executives, pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers who have carried the university’s influence and commitment to holiness across the globe. Asbury continues to shape individuals called to live out the Gospel, inspiring a new generation to transform the world for Christ.
Partnering Together in Our Mission
Asbury holds a special place in this world. We are uniquely positioned to equip the next generation of servant-leaders to be salt and light as they use their gifts and talents for God’s glory.
Go to Development
Asbury University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and education specialist degrees. Asbury University also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Read more Asbury’s Accreditation here.
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A HOlistic EducatioN
Since 1890, Asbury has emphasized both Academic Excellence and Spiritual Vitality. The University has maintained its commitment to Biblical convictions, encouraging disciplines like Bible study and prayer while fostering high standards of personal conduct and excellence in education. These principles aim to produce graduates with hearts devoted to God and equipped to reflect Christ’s character. Faculty and staff equip students to become tomorrow’s leaders through transformative experiences in strong, relevant academic programs rooted in the best of Western thought, while fostering 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 University was founded in 1890 as the fulfillment of a pledge the Reverend John Wesley Hughes, a Methodist evangelist, had made as a student at Vanderbilt University a decade earlier. He chose Wilmore as the school’s location because it was situated within his evangelistic preaching circuit and because the townspeople had shown a willingness to support the financing of the initial physical plant.
Originally named Kentucky Holiness College, the school was renamed to Asbury College to honor the founder of American Methodism, Bishop Francis Asbury. He was directly responsible for the organization of Bethel Academy in the 1790’s. The first of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains, Bethel Academy was a pioneering Methodist school, located on the banks of the Kentucky River, approximately four miles south of the present Asbury University campus.
Asbury welcomes students who have not come to that faith but are respectful of the institution and its mission.
admissions@asbury.edu