Olivet Nazarene University
Olivet Nazarene University's acceptance rate is 55.9% (2024). Its six-year graduation rate is 61% and its four-year rate is 53% (2024). Tuition and fees are $38,900 (2024). Fall enrollment is 3,339 students, and 3,818 enrolled over the full 12-month year (2024). Source: IPEDS.
About
Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private university in Bourbonnais, Illinois, United States. It is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Named for its founding location, Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907. In the late 1930s, it moved to the campus in Bourbonnais.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 90 Title IV programs, 23 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 67 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing23 · 25.6%
- No Data67 · 74.4%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 6
Action history · 10
- Oct 2025Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Apr 2025Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Jan 2025Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Jun 2024Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
- Jan 2024Approved for Distance EducationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,176 students received $6.7M in Pell grants, alongside $18.9M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,571 borrowers who entered repayment, 14 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Olivet Nazarene
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus7
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race2
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Parrott Hall1 fireMachinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Olivet Nazarene vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Olivet Nazarene selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectOlivet Nazarene University | 61% | 55.9% | 3,339 | $20,729 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Abilene Christian University | 59% | 66.0% | 5,219 | $26,182 | Doctoral/Professional |
Anderson University | 53% | 79.3% | 1,228 | $25,021 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
Azusa Pacific University | 62% | 88.4% | 6,272 | $22,212 | R2 Research |
Belmont University | 70% | 95.3% | 8,803 | $33,147 | Doctoral/Professional |
Biola University | 68% | 74.3% | 5,434 | $31,495 | Doctoral/Professional |
Calvin University | 74% | 70.9% | 3,681 | $22,992 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
Capital University | 60% | 70.2% | 2,263 | $22,576 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Cedarville University | 73% | 65.3% | 6,318 | $24,468 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Chapman University | 82% | 65.4% | 9,760 | $46,555 | R2 Research |
George Fox University | 72% | 93.5% | 4,916 | $31,679 | Doctoral/Professional |
Harding University | 69% | 70.5% | 4,696 | $22,130 | Doctoral/Professional |
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | 66% | 88.9% | 2,204 | $22,866 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
MidAmerica Nazarene University | 54% | 78.8% | 1,538 | $32,165 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Mississippi College | 59% | 29.1% | 4,164 | $27,712 | Doctoral/Professional |
Mount Vernon Nazarene University | 68% | 84.1% | 1,671 | $22,421 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
North Central College | 64% | 77.3% | 3,003 | $21,044 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
Point Loma Nazarene University | 77% | 83.7% | 4,757 | $38,729 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Southern Nazarene University | 49% | Open admission | 2,198 | $22,084 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Spring Arbor University | 63% | 51.5% | 2,441 | $19,353 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Taylor University | 74% | 73.5% | 2,548 | $24,865 | Baccalaureate |
Trevecca Nazarene University | 53% | 69.4% | 3,195 | $16,813 | Doctoral/Professional |
William Carey University | 60% | 60.3% | 5,321 | $14,258 | Doctoral/Professional |
| Peer group median | 64% | 72.2% | 3,681 | $22,992 |
Institutions like Olivet Nazarene
Explore the federal data for institutions in Olivet Nazarene's comparison group.
- Doctoral/ProfessionalTexas
Abilene Christian University
Grad rate59%Admit rate66.0%Enrollment5,219Net price$26,182 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsIndiana
Anderson University
Grad rate53%Admit rate79.3%Enrollment1,228Net price$25,021 - R2 ResearchCalifornia
Azusa Pacific University
Grad rate62%Admit rate88.4%Enrollment6,272Net price$22,212 - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Belmont University
Grad rate70%Admit rate95.3%Enrollment8,803Net price$33,147 - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Biola University
Grad rate68%Admit rate74.3%Enrollment5,434Net price$31,495 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsMichigan
Calvin University
Grad rate74%Admit rate70.9%Enrollment3,681Net price$22,992 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsOhio
Capital University
Grad rate60%Admit rate70.2%Enrollment2,263Net price$22,576 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsOhio
Cedarville University
Grad rate73%Admit rate65.3%Enrollment6,318Net price$24,468 - R2 ResearchCalifornia
Chapman University
Grad rate82%Admit rate65.4%Enrollment9,760Net price$46,555 - Doctoral/ProfessionalOregon
George Fox University
Grad rate72%Admit rate93.5%Enrollment4,916Net price$31,679 - Doctoral/ProfessionalArkansas
Harding University
Grad rate69%Admit rate70.5%Enrollment4,696Net price$22,130 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsIndiana
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion
Grad rate66%Admit rate88.9%Enrollment2,204Net price$22,866 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsKansas
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Grad rate54%Admit rate78.8%Enrollment1,538Net price$32,165 - Doctoral/ProfessionalMississippi
Mississippi College
Grad rate59%Admit rate29.1%Enrollment4,164Net price$27,712 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsOhio
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Grad rate68%Admit rate84.1%Enrollment1,671Net price$22,421 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsIllinois
North Central College
Grad rate64%Admit rate77.3%Enrollment3,003Net price$21,044 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
Point Loma Nazarene University
Grad rate77%Admit rate83.7%Enrollment4,757Net price$38,729 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsOklahoma
Southern Nazarene University
Grad rate49%Admit rateOpen admissionEnrollment2,198Net price$22,084 - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMichigan
Spring Arbor University
Grad rate63%Admit rate51.5%Enrollment2,441Net price$19,353 - BaccalaureateIndiana
Taylor University
Grad rate74%Admit rate73.5%Enrollment2,548Net price$24,865 - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Trevecca Nazarene University
Grad rate53%Admit rate69.4%Enrollment3,195Net price$16,813 - Doctoral/ProfessionalMississippi
William Carey University
Grad rate60%Admit rate60.3%Enrollment5,321Net price$14,258
Olivet Nazarene Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
- Lisa GassinAssociate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planStrategic plan2023The Olivet Nazarene University strategic plan for 2023-2028 underscores the institution's commitment to providing education with a Christian purpose within a robust liberal arts context. It aims to equip students with diverse academic skills for success, emphasizing affordability and value. The strategic plan is designed to guide sustainable development, enhance academic offerings, and foster a vibrant campus life reflecting Christian values.olivet.edu
Notable alumni of Olivet Nazarene (19)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Hugh C. Benner
- John C. Bowling
- Richard G. Colling
- Paul CunninghamReligion
- Jeremy DaleComics
- James Diehl
- R. Wayne Gardner
- Stephen GouldMusic
- David W. Graves
- J. Kenneth Grider
- Dustin Hada
- Mark HollisAthletics
Frequently asked questions about Olivet Nazarene University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Olivet Nazarene University.
What is the acceptance rate at Olivet Nazarene University?
What is the graduation rate at Olivet Nazarene University?
How many students attend Olivet Nazarene University?
What is the average net price at Olivet Nazarene University?
What is the yield rate at Olivet Nazarene University?
Where is Olivet Nazarene University located?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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