,·Private (Church of Christ-affiliated)·Est. 1869
“A residential Church of Christ university in rural West Tennessee with a deep biblical-studies tradition and recognized regional value.”
Freed-Hardeman University (FHU) is a private, residential Christian university in Henderson, Tennessee, associated with the Churches of Christ. Tracing its charter to 1869 and refounded in 1907 by A. G. Freed and N. B. Hardeman, FHU has spent more than a century shaping ministers, teachers, nurses, and business leaders within a faith-centered framework. Daily chapel attendance and Bible coursework are required of every undergraduate, and the university's College of Biblical Studies and Graduate School of Theology make it one of the most prominent training grounds for preachers and church workers in the Restoration Movement tradition. With roughly 1,850 undergraduates on a compact 96-acre campus in rural West Tennessee, FHU emphasizes close mentoring, small classes, and a tightly-knit residential community. Most traditional undergraduates live on campus through their senior year, and student life revolves around residence halls, social clubs, athletics, and a packed calendar of spiritual and cultural events. The annual Bible Lectureship, held since the 1930s, draws thousands of visitors to Henderson each spring, while the student-led variety show 'Makin' Music' (running since 1978) is a beloved campus tradition. Academically, FHU offers more than 100 areas of study across five colleges — Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business, Education and Behavioral Sciences, and the Honors College. Nursing, biblical studies, education, and business are among the largest and most distinctive programs. U.S. News named FHU the #2 Best Value Regional University in the South for 2026 and ranks it #23 among Regional Universities South. Athletics compete in NAIA's Mid-South Conference, where the Lions and Lady Lions have won multiple national basketball titles. Henderson itself is a small town about 90 miles east of Memphis — quiet, affordable, and built around the rhythms of a residential Christian college.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Regional Universities South
US News Best Colleges 2026
Best Value — Regional Universities South
US News Best Colleges 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admission
FHU operates rolling admissions with no fixed application deadline; earlier applications maximize scholarship and housing options.
Scholarship Discount Deadline (Fall freshmen)
Recommended deadline to be considered for the full menu of merit awards for incoming freshmen.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$25,620 – $26,255
/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.
Centerpiece of FHU's identity. Offers BA/BS degrees with emphases in preaching, missions, youth ministry, biblical languages, and biblical text. Feeds the Graduate School of Theology, an ATS-accredited seminary offering MA, MDiv, and DMin programs.
Houses the largest share of FHU's traditional undergraduate majors, including the BSN nursing program, biology, chemistry, communications, English, history, mathematics, and the visual & performing arts.
AACSB-aligned undergraduate business school offering majors in accounting, finance, management, marketing, and business analytics, plus an MBA at the graduate level.
Trains teachers, counselors, and social workers. Tennessee-licensed teacher education programs across elementary, secondary, and special education, plus undergraduate and graduate counseling and social work degrees.
Selective program for high-achieving undergraduates, offering enriched coursework, faculty-led seminars, scholarships, and undergraduate research opportunities across all majors.
4 years
FHU's signature program — a four-year degree designed to prepare ministers and gospel preachers in the Church of Christ tradition. Combines biblical text, biblical languages (Greek/Hebrew), homiletics, and supervised ministry practicum, with seamless pathways into the Graduate School of Theology's MDiv and DMin.
4 years
FHU's largest undergraduate major by graduates and one of the highest-paying right out of school (median ~,600). The four-year BSN integrates clinicals across West Tennessee hospitals and a Christian framework for healthcare ethics.
3 years
ATS-accredited graduate degree at the Graduate School of Theology, training preachers, missionaries, and ministry leaders. Combines biblical languages, exegesis, theology, and supervised ministry; available on campus in Henderson and at the Memphis center.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $25,620
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.
