,·Private (Christian, Southern Baptist)·Est. 1823
“A top Southern Baptist Christian liberal-arts university in West Tennessee with a nationally-ranked nursing program.”
Union University is a private Christian liberal-arts university in Jackson, Tennessee, tracing its origins to 1823 and affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. Consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, Union enrolls roughly 3,400 students across its undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs and is built around a "Christ-centered, excellence-driven" academic mission that integrates classical liberal-arts learning with explicit Christian formation. Union is best known for its College of Nursing, which has been ranked #1 in Tennessee in multiple recent years and top-20 nationally, with a 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate in several recent cohorts. Other strong programs include social work, organizational leadership, biology, teacher education, and the school's "Scholars of Excellence" honors program. Union operates five schools on its Jackson campus — Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing & Health Sciences, and Theology & Missions — plus additional campuses in Germantown (near Memphis) and Hendersonville (near Nashville) for graduate and adult programs. Students follow a shared core curriculum grounded in the Christian intellectual tradition, and all faculty affirm a statement of faith. Student life on the 350-acre Jackson campus centers on a close-knit residential community, Greek life, intramurals, and a large slate of ministry opportunities through local churches and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Union is NCAA Division II and competes in the Gulf South Conference as the Bulldogs. The Jackson location — about 90 miles east of Memphis and 130 miles west of Nashville — provides affordability and safety while still offering internship and healthcare clinical opportunities in both major metros. For international students, Union offers a small but growing community coordinated by the Center for Intercultural Engagement, a clear F-1 process through Union's International Student Officer, and merit-based scholarships that can meaningfully reduce the cost of a U.S. Christian liberal-arts education.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$39,850 – $41,470
/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.
Union's largest college, offering liberal-arts and science majors rooted in a Christian intellectual tradition, including biology, English, history, biblical studies, and the fine arts.
ACBSP-accredited business programs emphasizing ethical leadership, accounting, finance, and management in a Christian worldview.
Teacher-licensure programs preparing educators for Tennessee and beyond, with early-childhood through secondary education tracks.
Union's nationally recognized nursing college, consistently ranked #1 in Tennessee, with BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate programs across 27 tracks.
Undergraduate and graduate theology programs tied to Southern Baptist denominational life, with strong missions and ministry tracks.
4 years
Nationally recognized program with a 100% NCLEX pass rate in recent cohorts and clinical rotations across West Tennessee and the Memphis medical corridor. Union's BSN is highly selective.
4 years
Selective university-wide honors program featuring special seminars, honors colloquia, a senior thesis, and competitive Scholars of Excellence scholarships.
4 years
A flagship program at a Baptist university, preparing students for ministry, missions, or graduate theological study with a robust biblical-languages foundation.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $40,025
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.
