Nelson University is a private Christian university in Waxahachie, Texas, about 30 minutes south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Founded in 1927 in Enid, Oklahoma, as Southwestern Bible School and renamed in 2024 to honour its founder, Reverend P.C. Nelson, the institution is affiliated with the Assemblies of God tradition. It awards associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, drawing students from across the United States and from abroad.
The university is organised into six core colleges spanning biblical and church ministry studies, behavioural sciences and community services, business, education and integrative studies, health sciences, and music and communication arts. More than 100 majors are offered, delivered both on campus and through online and distance-learning programmes. The student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1, which the institution frames as the basis for personalised attention and support.
Nelson University's stated mission is to equip students spiritually, academically, professionally and cross-culturally for their careers and callings. The campus was ranked the safest in Texas by Niche.com, and the university placed 20th among Regional Universities (West) in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 rankings, a list that also recognised its work on social mobility. Further information is available at https://nelson.edu/.
