Welcome to your home-away-from-home! With over 45 nations represented in our diverse student population, you’ll fit right in, joining many other students from around the world. Being admitted to a university is the first, and most integral, step in acquiring an I-20 certificate to study in the states. If you have reached this page, you may have already completed this step — congratulations on your admission! The Lipscomb University Office of Admissions now recognizes you as an incoming new student. Please be sure that you are enrolled in a full-time (12+ credit hours for undergraduate or 6+ credit hours for graduate) degree-seeking program, and that you are prepared to produce documentation (bank statements that show readily available liquid assets) showing financial support for your studies for at least one full academic year. In accordance with Student Exchange Visitor Program regulations, we must be able to assess this evidence before issuing an I-20.You should expect an email from our international student services coordinator, Jotham Miller, with your I-20 application. After fully completing your application, your I-20 certificate will be created in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and sent to you by email. That certificate will explain everything you need to do afterwards, including how to pay your SEVIS fee and schedule a visa application appointment at your nearest U.S. consulate or embassy.These college-educated ministers believed in the value of an education infused with faith. As they watched the rapid development of schools and colleges in Nashville, often called the “Athens of the South,” they envisioned a school that was different—one that would instill practical knowledge through a Christian lens. In the summer and fall of 1889, the two friends spent many long nights at Lipscomb’s farmhouse, developing their vision to establish a school that offered a rigorous and challenging academic education in a Christian context. They did not want it to be a “preacher” school, nor a seminary. Instead, they wanted it to be a place where the most useful academics would be taught alongside Bible study and opportunities for personal interactions with Scripture, rooted in the Church of Christ. This, they believed, was a complete education that would rear graduates who were prepared with wisdom and knowledge to serve their community and the world.On Oct. 5, 1891, they opened the doors to Nashville Bible School—a bold act of faith by Lipscomb and Harding, who knew their unique approach to education was going against the grain. Even still, Harding declared, “We aspire to stand in the front ranks of the great educational institutions of the world.” In time, the school’s focus on faith-based education would directly influence the founding of almost half a dozen other colleges and universities with the same intent.From that first year which saw only nine students, the school grew quickly. In 1896, it had developed intermediate and primary divisions that together made up Lipscomb Campus Schools, which would later be named Lipscomb Academy. When the student population became too large to fit in the school’s downtown building, Lipscomb and his wife, Margaret, offered their 110-acre farm—where they lived—along Granny White Pike only four miles from the center of town. There, the school found its permanent home in 1903. Two of the school’s first four buildings are still in use today: Harding Hall, the primary building used for Lipscomb Academy, and Avalon Hall, now used for alumni and lifelong learning programs. In 1918, one year after the passing of its founder, the school was renamed David Lipscomb College in his memory. The following decades were rife with blessings for the institution, but they also saw some harsh challenges. In 1929 and 1930, the school experienced devastating fires to its dormitories. Rebuilding from the tragedies almost sank the institution in debt during the Great Depression, but by the grace of God and through the faith and resiliency of the faculty and students, the school stood firm and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1941.Our MissionLipscomb University is a private coeducational institution whose principal focus is undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences, combined with a number of undergraduate professional and pre-professional fields, and master's and doctoral degree programs. Its primary mission is to integrate Christian faith and practice with academic excellence. This mission is carried out not only in the classroom and online studies, but also by involvement in numerous services to the church and the larger community.The founders’ vision and dream, and their hard work to make that dream a reality, have bore fruit for generations. Lipscomb University has developed into a fast-growing Christian liberal arts institution that started with just nine students in 1891 and now serves more than 4,700 students today. And Lipscomb Academy, which serves children in preschool through the 12th grade, is now the largest private school of its kind in Middle Tennessee and one of only a few in the nation associated with a university.The vision and heart of David Lipscomb continues to be honored and lived out through the university. Lipscomb was beloved by the city of Nashville, evident at his funeral which saw an outpouring of community members, because of his service to the city. Like the man himself, the institution strongly values service to its community and the world as an act of faith. It’s a place known for developing courageous and confident leaders equipped with practical knowledge and rooted in their spiritual growth, who take on some of the most complex and difficult problems with their innovation and willingness to step out from the crowd. Because of the commitment of its founder and every past president thereafter to boldly follow the plans God placed on their hearts, Lipscomb University plays a vital role today in countless lives, communities and countries around the world. Faith is not only our foundation—it’s our purpose and our future.
In the pursuit of our vision to help the students find the right courses and institutions based on their learning inclination and caliber. Dive right in to know more about the institutions that are best suited for you, all at one place.
Watch the videos to learn about the student life-cycle and the teaching environment at the University.