What Milligan University is like

What it's like

Milligan is a small, residential Christian liberal arts university with deep historical roots and a faith-centered institutional culture. The 355-acre campus in rural Tennessee draws students primarily from the region, with a student body just over 1,300. As a church-related institution tied to the Restoration Movement, Christian values and service orientation shape campus life, though recent years have brought scrutiny over the university's policies regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Academic feel

The university offers over 100 programs across undergraduate and graduate levels, with particular strengths in nursing and health professions. Class sizes skew small, with most undergraduate lecture sections enrolling under 20 students. A 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio supports close instruction. Seniors report strong gains in critical thinking (84%) and job-related knowledge (78%), though development of diverse perspective and civic engagement show lower perceived gains.

Social life

Residential college life centers on Christian community and service. Alcohol and tobacco are prohibited on campus. The school maintains close ties to Christian Churches/Churches of Christ and related denominations. A strong culture of community service exists, with students collectively contributing over 110,000 service hours in 2022–2023. Athletics play a visible role, with 29 varsity sports competing in the NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conference.

What you should consider

Students seeking small-school attention, close faculty relationships, and a values-oriented environment fit well. The residential model and service emphasis appeal to those motivated by Christian faith and community engagement. Regional students—over 80% come from Tennessee—find familiar cultural and religious contexts. Athletes represent a substantial portion of the student body (47% of undergraduates). The university's strict religious affiliation and conservative stances on sexuality create a constrained environment for LGBTQ+ students and those seeking secular or theologically diverse spaces. The 2020 firing of a professor in a same-sex relationship, grounded in a 2015 administrative position on homosexuality, signals an unwelcoming institutional stance. Students seeking urban resources, large peer networks, or secular intellectual culture would find the rural, faith-centered setting limiting.

Strengths

• Offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs of study, providing substantial academic breadth.[1][2]
• Small class sizes with most undergraduate lecture sections enrolling fewer than 20 students, supporting personalized instruction.[3]
• 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio enables close faculty-student relationships and individualized learning support.[3]
• Strong residential campus model with over 80% of undergraduates living on the 355-acre property.[1]
• Campus culture of service with students logging over 110,000 service hours in 2022–2023, reflecting institutional commitment to community engagement.[3]
• Competitive athletic program with 29 varsity sports competing in the NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conference.[1]

Weaknesses

• In spring 2020, the university fired a professor for being in a same-sex relationship, based on a 2015 administrative document detailing the university's opposition to homosexuality, signaling a hostile institutional stance toward LGBTQ+ individuals.[1]
• Seniors report notably lower perceived gains in understanding people of diverse backgrounds (62%) compared to critical thinking skills, suggesting limited cross-cultural competency development.[3]

Traditions

• In 1943, Milligan became the only college in the nation to completely turn its facilities over to naval training programs, hosting the V-12 Navy College Training Program from 1943 to 1945.[1]
• The Milligan Stampede student newspaper, founded in 1925, has operated continuously with a student-run broadcast news service and news website.[1]
• The Elizabeth Leitner Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts, which opened in January 2008, houses a 300-seat theater, photography labs, and fine arts classrooms, serving as a hub for performing and visual arts on campus.[1]

Recent news

In August 2026, two Milligan cyclists were killed in a crash, marking a tragic incident at the university.