Point Loma Nazarene University

We are committed to shaping students’ academic, personal, and spiritual growth. This means our mission is not merely to prepare you for a career after you graduate — though that is part of it — but to shape you into a thoughtful, service-minded, and engaged member of your community and world. In short, we are committed to helping you become who you are altogether called to be. We believe this happens when a critical exploration of various fields of thought — from the sciences to business to the humanities — is embraced with a concern for serving others and an openness to God’s grace at work in our communities, nations, and lives.
PLNU exists to provide higher education in a vital Christian community where minds are engaged and challenged, the character is modeled and formed, and service is an expression of faith. Being of Wesleyan heritage, we strive to be a learning community where grace is foundational, truth is pursued, and holiness is a way of life.
PLNU will be a nationally prominent Christian university and a leading Wesleyan voice in higher education and the church — known for excellence in academic preparation, wholeness in personal development, and faithfulness to mission.
Our faculty members are known for their excellence as teachers and scholars in their respective fields and their commitment to forming relationships with students built around mentorship and accountability to help students thrive academically, professionally, and spiritually.
At PLNU, the small student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1 does mean you can have one-on-one relationships with professors who are just as concerned with whom you are becoming as they are with how you are performing. We encourage students to move beyond a one-dimensional education and toward one that fosters vigorous and rewarding academic exploration through summer research programs, study abroad programs, graduate field experience projects, honors programs, and more.
Through faculty mentorships and a host of academic opportunities, you will develop the perspective, knowledge, and experience necessary to pursue a purposeful career after you graduate.
At PLNU, you will grapple with challenging questions, explore complex theories, hold diverse viewpoints in tension, and engage in civil dialogue within an academic environment grounded in the Christian faith.
However, the growth that takes place in the classroom is only part of your story at PLNU. We also emphasize the importance of engaging others in meaningful relationships and faithful service. This means many of our students reach out to their neighbors — whether across the street or the world — through a commitment to Christ-led service. From going on short-term mission programs in locations all over the world like Mexico and Uganda to serving in homeless and tutoring ministries to worshiping as a community in the chapel, the expression of our Christian faith is foundational to PLNU and, we believe, critical for the holistic development of our students’ character and calling.
At PLNU, when we talk about calling, we mean so much more than a job. What you do professionally will likely change numerous times over your lifetime. You may find yourself in a job that has not even been created yet. By pursuing your calling, instead of only focusing on landing a job, you are discovering the most real version of yourself — one that is self-actualized, confident, and aware of your strengths and shortcomings.
That way, instead of making life about finding the “right job,” you are well versed in being true to your identity in God in all circumstances. Calling is not about what you do; it is living out whom God has called you to be.
Of course, understanding yourself is an essential step in pursuing a career path. By taking bold steps to discover whom you are called to be, you will begin uncovering your unique strengths and abilities. As you learn more about yourself in a community committed to the same kind of discovery, your career possibilities may become even broader than you initially thought.
At PLNU, we believe in pursuing calling together. Deep and meaningful relationships with your fellow students, professors, staff, and other mentors in a vital Christian community are necessary for discovering whom you are called to be. You cannot do it alone. And since finding your calling is not a destination, being part of a community full of individuals engaged in that same endeavor will set you up to live out your calling in everything you do and every aspect of your life.
Practically and financially speaking, it is essential to consider that the sticker price can be misleading. PLNU, along with most other private, liberal arts institutions, offers generous financial aid compared to other schools that may rest on their sticker price alone. There is aid available based on merit, talent, and need. There is also a much greater chance that you will graduate in four years rather than five or six. Both factors mean you may often find you will pay about the same, or possibly less, out-of-pocket to attend a private college than a public university.
If you choose to go to college, you will invest in education. We believe it is a wise purchase in life. We believe it is one of the most meaningful purchases you will make. At PLNU, we promise to invest back into you. Our calling is to invest in people — our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community — because we believe in a unique kind of higher education. We believe in a holistic, Christian education that helps students live out meaningful careers and lives.