Overview
Chowan University is a Christian educational institution founded in 1848 by Baptist families and named Chowan – which means “people of the south” – to honor the Native American Algonquin Chowanook tribe. For over 170 years, Chowan has enjoyed a long and distinguished tradition of faith and education in Northeastern NC.
Chowan University, grounded in its Christian faith, transforms the lives of students of promise, as her mission.
Chowan University is committed to serving average students. By “average,” we mean students with a GPA from 2.25-3.25 and “average” SAT scores (around 880 on the new SAT or 800 two-part on the old SAT). Students below these criteria may be admitted if they show a commitment to the Chowan University experience and academic potential.
The Honors College at Chowan University is designed to offer attractive and challenging opportunities for intellectual growth to well-prepared and highly motivated students. The college has both curricular and extracurricular components. The Honors College Committee will normally consider for acceptance into the program any freshman who enters college with at least a 3.25 high school grade point average and 1170 on the new or 1100 two-part on the old or higher SAT score. Transfer students and Chowan rising sophomores must have earned at least a 3.50 GPA and a B in English composition.
We strongly encourage all students and their families to visit campus throughout the admissions process. You can schedule a campus visit here.
Many of our students are first-generation college students, which means their parents did not attend college or complete a college degree. Because of Chowan’s commitment to individual attention in a Christian environment, these students thrive at Chowan University.
The Chowan University community seeks to believe in and to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ. This goal is accomplished through the mentoring, ministry, and teaching of Christian faculty and staff, and mission and service experiences on campus, in the community, in the United States, and around the world.
Our pastoral campus ministry team provides opportunities for students to grow in their faith while also meeting the needs of others. Local, national, and international mission trips, discipleship, residence hall Bible studies, mentoring, and lots of one-on-one attention and prayer give students a transformative education.
All students who seek to complete their degree at Chowan University must enroll in an introductory course about the Bible. Students must also attend a handful of Perspectives events that are offered weekly, which involve holistic presentations and lectures, religious celebrations, theatrical performances, and other Chowan community-related events.
We are not here to indoctrinate anyone but to show them the Christian way of life as revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Non-Christian students and students from other religious traditions are respected and welcomed here and thrive in this environment.