,·Private (Christian Churches / Churches of Christ)·Est. 1895
“A small Christian university in Eugene, Oregon — quite literally next door to the University of Oregon.”
Bushnell University is a small private Christian university in Eugene, Oregon, with roots in the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and a continuing affiliation with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. Founded in 1895 as Eugene Divinity School, the institution has carried several names over its 130-year history — Eugene Bible University, Northwest Christian College, and most recently Northwest Christian University. In July 2020 the school formally became Bushnell University, honoring James A. Bushnell, the founding chair of the board of regents. The renaming reflected a long evolution from a ministry-only institute into a broad liberal-arts and professional-studies university while keeping its Christian identity intact. What makes Bushnell genuinely unusual is its setting. The 16-acre residential campus sits at the corner of Alder Street and East 11th Avenue in east Eugene, separated from the University of Oregon's campus by the width of a single street. Bushnell students can cross-register for select Oregon courses, use Knight Library, and walk into Autzen Stadium territory and the Ducks ecosystem in minutes — while studying inside a community of roughly 700–760 students where most classes are small, faculty know students by name, and chapel runs two to three times per week. Weekly chapel attendance is required of full-time traditional undergraduates carrying 12+ credits, though Bushnell is explicit that it welcomes students of any faith or no faith and does not require a faith statement. Academically, Bushnell is organized around a College of Arts & Sciences, a School of Business, a School of Education, and a School of Bible & Ministry, offering about 53 majors across roughly six academic units. The most-awarded majors lean practical: Nursing and Health Professions, Business, Psychology, Education, and interdisciplinary studies, with Theology and ministry programs reflecting the institutional heritage. Athletics are a meaningful part of campus life — the Beacons compete in NAIA in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, with men's basketball historically the flagship program (eight small-college national titles in school history) and men's and women's wrestling joining in fall 2027. For prospective international students, the trade-off is honest: Bushnell is small, residential, and overwhelmingly domestic (roughly 1% international), but the price tag is well below selective private peers, the cohort is tight-knit, and you live next door to a major flagship research university.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Regional Universities West
US News Best Colleges 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admission (Domestic)
Bushnell admits on a rolling basis; no fixed Early Action or Regular Decision deadline.
International Fall Deadline
International applicants for fall enrollment should submit by June 1.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$36,600 – $36,950
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Houses humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and the most-awarded liberal-arts majors at Bushnell, including Psychology, Communication, English, and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Career-focused undergraduate business programs covering management, marketing, accounting, and sport management, with small classes and ties to local Eugene employers.
Oregon-licensure pathways for elementary and secondary teachers, plus graduate offerings in teaching and educational leadership.
Continues Bushnell's founding mission with degrees in Christian ministry, biblical studies, and theology, drawing from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement heritage.
Bushnell's fastest-growing area: pre-nursing, exercise & sport science, and allied-health pathways, leveraging proximity to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center next to campus.
4 years
Bushnell's most-enrolled professional program — small classes, hands-on internships in Eugene's growing economy, and concentrations spanning management, marketing, accounting, and sport management.
4 years
One of the largest majors on campus. Strong faculty advising and easy access to research opportunities at neighboring University of Oregon for students considering graduate school in clinical or counseling psychology.
4 years
Pre-professional pathway toward physical therapy, athletic training, and kinesiology graduate programs — a natural fit for athletes given Bushnell's NAIA Beacons program and the Eugene running/Olympic Trials culture.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $35,800
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
