Mount Vernon Nazarene University

What Mount Vernon Nazarene University does

Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) is a private Christian university founded in 1968 and located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene within its East Central Educational Region. The institution serves a diversified student base spanning residential undergraduates (40+ majors), online learners through MVNU Online and CAPS, dual-enrollment/College Credit Plus participants, international F-1 students in its International Executive Studies program, employer-sponsored Gateway corporate learners, and graduate students across multiple master's-level programs including recent additions in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) and Curriculum and Instruction (M.A.Ed.).

The university's core product is credit-bearing post-secondary instruction delivered across on-campus, asynchronous online, and partnership-mediated channels, supported by a portfolio of five institutional and programmatic accreditations (HLC, ACBSP, CCNE, CAEP, CSWE) and an NAIA athletic program (Cougars). Technology surface is conventional — traditional LMS-mediated online delivery plus partnership integrations (e.g., C-TEC of Licking County) — with no disclosed AI/ML or proprietary platform architecture.

MVNU's business model rests on tuition and fees ($37,784 per semester for 12–18 credit loads, plus $11,434 housing/board), supplemented by auxiliary revenue from housing, athletics, and corporate/dual-enrollment contracts. Revenue is diversified across delivery channels but geographically anchored in central Ohio and demographically anchored in the Church of the Nazarene constituency. Leadership rests with President Dr. Carson Castleman.

Name

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Legal name

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Website

https://mvnu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MVNU is a private Church of the Nazarene-affiliated university in Mount Vernon, Ohio, founded 1968, serving residential undergraduates, online/CAPS learners, dual-enrollment, international F-1, and graduate students across five accredited program areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Christian Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Private Christian education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Online adult education
• Dual enrollment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Per-credit and per-semester tuition for undergraduate and graduate programs. Tuition for 12-18 credit hours per semester is $37,784. Housing and food costs $11,434 for double occupancy with meal plan.
2. Room and Board: Housing and dining services provided to residential students. Housing costs $11,434 for double occupancy room and meal plan.
3. Adult Online Programs: Per-credit, course-by-course pricing structure for College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) programs, allowing students to continue working while studying.
4. Financial Aid Processing: 100% of students receive financial assistance. University processes FAFSA applications and distributes scholarships, grants, and loans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mount Vernon Nazarene University provides traditional four-year undergraduate degrees on its Mount Vernon, Ohio campus. Its program portfolio spans accounting, art, biology, business, communication, computer science, education, engineering, health sciences, ministry, nursing, psychology, social work, and other fields.

Product overview

Mount Vernon Nazarene University offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services centered around its core on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university provides traditional four-year programs across 40+ majors, online degree programs through MVNU Online (College of Adult and Professional Studies) including MBA, MSW, MS-SLP, MSM, MOL, M.Min, M.A.Ed, and DNP, and specialized programs including Dual Enrollment/College Credit Plus for high school students, an Academic Honors Program with two tiers, the Gateway Partnership for workforce development, International Executive Studies for F-1 visa students, and The Learning Academy for educator professional development. Supporting these core educational offerings are the Career Development Center, Center for Student Success, and Fairbanks Center for Global Engagement, all of which provide students with academic support, career services, and global engagement opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MVNU Online: Online degree programs for working adults offering associate, bachelor, master or doctoral degrees 100% online.
• Fairbanks Center for Global Engagement
• Center for Student Success
• Career Development Center
• International Executive Studies (IES)
• College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS)
• The Learning Academy
• Cougars
• WNZR-FM and WNZR.tv

Products and services

• On-Campus Undergraduate Programs Traditional four-year undergraduate degree programs offered on MVNU's Mount Vernon, Ohio campus, with majors in accounting, art, biology, business administration, chemistry, Christian ministry, communication and media, computer science, criminal justice, education, engineering, English, exercise science, finance, graphic design, health sciences, history, management, marketing, mathematics, music, nursing, psychology, religion, social work, sports management, and worship arts.
• MVNU Online (Adult and Professional Studies) 100% online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs designed for working adults through the College of Adult and Professional Studies. Programs include BBA, MBA, MSW, MS-SLP, MSM, MOL, M.A.Ed, M.Min, and DNP, with a 5-6 week course format.
• Dual Enrollment / College Credit Plus (CCP) A program allowing Ohio high-school students to earn college credits while still in high school at no cost. Courses can be taken on campus, online, or at partner high schools, with a CCP Residential option for eligible seniors.
• International Executive Studies (IES) A hybrid instructional program for international students on F-1 visas combining face-to-face coursework, structured residency, supervised externship engagement, and limited online learning. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees in management information systems and computer science.
• The Learning Academy Graduate-level courses for educators priced at $500 per course, offering up to 18 graduate credits in mathematics and English that can be applied toward a master's degree or used for dual-credit teaching credentials.
• Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) A new graduate program preparing speech-language pathologists to diagnose and treat a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders.
• Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed) in Curriculum and Instruction A graduate program for licensed teachers with concentrations in Curriculum Studies, Mathematics, or English, designed to advance careers, deepen instructional expertise, and prepare for expanded leadership roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students receive financial assistance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C-TEC of Licking CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Strategic partnership through MVNU's Gateway Partnership to expand educational pathways and strengthen workforce development across Central Ohio. Collaboration aligns career and technical education programs with higher education, creating transfer and advancement opportunities for students and adult learners while providing businesses with a pipeline of skilled employees. Both institutions emphasized shared commitment to supporting regional talent needs and long-term career growth.
• AccuEdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allows teachers to apply up to nine credit hours of prior AccuTrain training toward MVNU's M.A.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction degree. This enables educators to leverage previous professional development toward graduate degree completion.
• Vazquez FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVazquez Family Collaboratory empowers students, faculty, staff, and partners through hands-on real-world experiences blending scholarship, service, and professional growth. Named partnership supporting global engagement and experiential learning initiatives.
• Fairbanks Center for Global Engagement PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of trusted partner institutions and programs for study abroad, course exchanges, service-learning, and global engagement. Enables semester or summer study away opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Mount Vernon City SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshops for teachers including Teacher Based Teams courses and book studies. Provides continuing education credit for local educators.
• Licking County Career CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop partnerships providing professional development and graduate credit for educators in the region.
• Cardington-Lincoln SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshops providing professional development and graduate credit for educators.
• Fredericktown SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop partnerships providing professional development and graduate credit for educators.
• Lexington SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop partnerships providing professional development and graduate credit for educators.
• Licking Heights SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshops including ELL Critical Data Process Cohort and Writing Rev Book Study for professional development and graduate credit.
• Community College PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransfer partnerships allowing community college students to seamlessly transition to MVNU degree completion programs. Supports adult learner pathway from associate to bachelor's degree.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Olivet Nazarene University: Fellow Church of the Nazarene-affiliated private comprehensive university in Bourbonnais, Illinois, offering similar mix of undergraduate, graduate, online, and adult professional programs with comparable size and faith-based positioning.
• Trevecca Nazarene University: Nazarene-affiliated private university in Nashville, Tennessee with similar undergraduate/graduate program mix and online adult learner offerings through a comparable CAPS-style college structure.
• Northwest Nazarene University: Faith-based Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho offering residential undergraduate, graduate, and online programs comparable in scale and mission to MVNU.
• MidAmerica Nazarene University: Nazarene-affiliated private comprehensive university in Olathe, Kansas with parallel structure of traditional residential, adult professional, and online degree programs.
• Point Loma Nazarene University: Larger Nazarene-affiliated private university in San Diego offering comparable residential undergraduate and graduate programs with similar faith-based positioning.

Regional players

• Cedarville University: Ohio-based Baptist-affiliated private comprehensive university with similar size, traditional undergraduate focus, NAIA athletics, and graduate/online programs competing for the same Ohio Christian-student market.
• Malone University: Private Christian university in Canton, Ohio offering similar mix of traditional undergraduate, adult professional, and online programs with comparable enrollment size and faith-based identity.
• Ashland University: Ohio-based private comprehensive university with parallel undergraduate, graduate, online, and dual enrollment program structures competing in the same regional market.
• Walsh University: Private Catholic university in North Canton, Ohio with similar scale, NAIA athletics, and undergraduate/graduate program mix targeting overlapping Ohio Catholic and Christian student segments.

Broad incumbents

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large-scale online university with substantial adult-learner programs and aggressive tuition pricing that competes directly with MVNU Online for working adult students nationwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mvnunews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MVNU1968
• Facebookfacebook.com/MVNU.Cougars
• Instagraminstagram.com/mvnu1968
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mount-vernon-nazarene-university

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mount Vernon Nazarene University