Olivet Nazarene University Admission
Olivet Nazarene University Undergraduate Program
Olivet Nazarene University Application

The Facts

Olivet Nazarene University is a moderately sized, private institution located in the town of Bourbonnais, Illinois, and is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. The school is home to over 2,080 undergraduate students and approximately 2,200 graduate and part-time professional students who are able to take courses in one of the school’s several academic divisions, which include programs in the areas of the liberal arts, business, communication, health science, art and the fine arts, engineering, music, Bible and religious studies, and teacher preparation. These academic divisions offer a wide array of majors in the areas of biological science (which includes a great program in zoology), business (home to a unique program in fashion merchandising), communications and the arts, computer and physical science, education, engineering and environmental design, health professions, and social sciences (which includes a unique program in dietetics). Some of the most popular majors at Olivet Nazarene include engineering, physical science, business administration and education.

Admission to Olivet Nazarene University is not as competitive as some of its other Nazarene counterparts; however, the number of qualified students who apply has been increasing with each passing admissions cycle. Last year, over 2,000 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 1,500 of those students were accepted; of those, about 600 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1100 to 1180, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 23 to 30. Additionally, more than 70% of those admitted were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about a 3.75.

Olivet Nazarene University has a less than stellar student to faculty ratio of 26:1, which is quite high for such a small school. Some students do complain of overcrowding, but the administration has been making recent efforts to bring class sizes significantly down by hiring more staff and encouraging teachers to instruct more classes.

The Social Scene

The town of Bourbonnais is quite small, and doesn’t really offer students much in the way of entertainment; however, the city of Chicago is easily accessible by car, and is only about an hour’s drive to the north. We hear that it’s quite easy to hitch a ride if you don’t own a car of your own. Olivet Nazarene University has no fraternities or sororities, but students don’t seem to mind their absence very much. The school does offer over 32 student-run clubs and organizations that run the gamut from an art club to a cheer leading squad.

The dating scene is full of sweethearts who probably haven’t dated very much previously...

What’s Good

“We’re just close enough to Chicago to enjoy it without having to endure the stresses of actually living in the city itself.”

“I love that the school is so intimate, and that the professors really take time to make sure you are doing all right.”

“People are so incredibly kind here, and they all make you feel included from day one.”

What’s Bad

“The school can be overly religious sometimes, and you feel like they’re trying to push certain ideas on you.”

“There is no party scene here, and the administration is so strict that it’s difficult to have any on your own either.”

“There is absolutely no diversity here. Everyone’s a clone.”

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