I attended both undergrad and graduate school here at NU in their night program. What a relief! In the Seattle area, it can be difficult to find a good school to attend at night. Work my day job and school one night a week. It's an adjustment at first, but the professors and students I have met during my time at NU are lifelong friends and I couldn't have been happier about the experience. Campus: Located in Kirkland, it has a really fun, "cozy" campus. Lots of green trees and grass. Some of the buildings are out-dated, but I think they have been working on updating a lot of them. They have this really new cool architecture building for health and sciences. Really state-of-the-art! Only complaint is that the campus is rather dark at night (walk with a buddy), but that's not NU's fault, I guess the city restricts them from putting up a lot of light poles because the neighbors complained about ambient light...something like that. Parking: Ample parking for when I was going to class, not sure about during the day. Professors: Genuinely interested in your future. Having attended a number of schools and colleges, this was the first university to invest this much into my future. For me having professors with real-world experience was really important. I am so sick of professors who learned everything through a book and then think they are now the subject matter experts. NU doesn't operate under that M'O', all the professors who taught are classes were certifiably subject matter experts. Many of them are still employed by major fortune 500 companies and teach adjunct every once and awhile. Really brings that networking and connections into the classroom. Security: Always patrolling and friendliest campus security you will find. Always waving and answering questions, they seem to know a lot of faculty and students by name too. They even have a pretty sweet hipster security car! Sports: I didn't participate in any sports while I was at NU, but there's a reason the Seahawks used NU's fields to practice for years. They do have good sports facilities. BTW: The best part? Frisbee-Golf course on campus. 5 Stars right there. In conclusion, this is just my experience, take a tour, check it out for yourself. read more

Spirit filled and led. The professors have said to invite the Holy Spirit into your homework (the bible can be used in all classes not just biblical), they encourage and look for honor that is biblical and sets high standards of integrity. It is a CHRISTIAN school that submits to Jesus and does not conform. Now not one person on this planet is perfect and we should make room for each other's mistakes and that is biblical and we have all made our share of grievances Lord knows I have but all in all this school really does have the heart of God written into its DNA and I highly recommend if you are looking for your education to have a firm unshakable foundation. read more

Very much a dictatorship in a lot of ways, the athletic director is also the men's soccer coach and dismissed me from the team because he simply didn't like me not because of my skill level. At one point he whispered in my ear "You could've told me to Fuck off with the offer I gave you". After he kicked me off the team, he told me the only way for you to be on the team is as a film analyzer, I would watch games and give information. Probably the most disrespectful thing someone could ask a serious athlete. The problem at NU is that as a Christian school there is no form of accountability with staff. There is a thought that a Christian isn't capable of atrocities, but as we have seen time and time again on the news. Disguising themselves with the religion to still have ill intentions and be overcome by human nature like Gary McIntosh. The most devoted Christians are sometimes the biggest devils; pride is the devil. I have brought this to the president's attention, and I was told by Dr. Castleberry that my accusations weren't credible and told me to rather place the blame on myself. The men's program hasn't had a successful year in all the time Gary has been there, no accountability. A former teammate told me that Gary spoke about not caring about winning. NAIA is a competitive league with many players seeking to become professional, do not go to NU if you want to have an athletic career. Gary allowed my teammates to tell me to "go fuck yourself" and even when they said it directly in front of him, Gary took action once by sitting him out for about 5 minutes. Coach Titus was also a witness to many of these harassments during spring season and regular season. I openly expressed to Gary my thoughts on the season prior and how I wanted to Transfer to a different program, I don't think my honesty sat well with him. While he was giving me phone calls praising how I was doing with the team, he suddenly in the middle of practice got into my face and yelled "GET OFF OF MY FIELD" after I hadn't moved into a certain position. Before he yelled, I told him " I thought I was in a good position" does that warrant punishment for Gary to turn orange like a red peach and yell while water falls of saliva come out of his mouth? Ultimately that was my last practice as I waited three weeks in "Probation" for him to come up with an answer whether I would remain on the team or not. In those three weeks the men's soccer team were throwing house parties while I sat depressed in my room just wanting to play. Days before the dropout deadline Gary wasn't responding to me, I had to get Vice President Rick involved. Well, I didn't drop out in time, so I am also 7,000 dollars in debt, debt that was sent to collections. I tried appealing this even when I have emails proving my intent to drop out before Sept. 28th and proving Gary was not in cahoots' with me. Vice-president Rick and President Castleberry denied my request without any investigation. After all I experienced with NU, I still followed the men's and women's team. Never missing a home game for either team, or even traveling to Oregon on my own to support the women's team during their playoff run. Rick was also in attendance at every home game; he never approached me after everything that had happened. I was an outcast at a Christian school, let that sink in. NU did get me closer to God, but not in the way I expected. read more

If you want a Faith-Based Education that puts Jesus First, then this is your place. The knowledge I am attaining here is better than any of the other Universities or Colleges that I have attended. The Administration, all the way from the front-line workers to the President, are all supportive, friendly, and want you to succeed. It is challenging but in a way that makes you grow and learn. It will deepen your faith and your knowledge. read more

This university is very poor on communication, instructors don't reply to all your messages, class advisers don't always reply to inquiries made, and heads of the departments don't do anything about a situation if a student has trouble working with anybody on staff. They are just get defensive and blow you, the student off. This school is sure not worth the money, in my opinion, since they don't make sure that a student gets treated right. In other words, they are all just out for themselves. They call themselves Christians, I don't think that is very Christian-like at all read more

DEFINITIVE REVIEW OF NU: PLEASE READ Cost: Having compared it to several other university's programs in Washington State, NU's quality of education does not justify the tuition prices for the most part. The university is notorious for prioritizing programs that have the highest turnover and leaving other less attended programs woefully under-funded and under-staffed, especially including the music production and math program which have three and one professor in each program respectively. This university is also not cost effective in other ways. The meal plan is extremely restrictive for individual dietary needs, inconvenient for personal schedule as meals are served for two hours at a time, and students who live in the dorms are forced to have the meal plan as part of their tuition even if they can't or don't want to use it even though it almost $3000 per semester. It is practically non-negotiable with them, even if you can prove you have too many allergies to use the cafeteria. They also make you pay out of pocket for laundry, something which I've not seen other campuses ever do. If you are well to do financially or qualify for enough financial aid to cover the cost, then these things may not be such an obstacle, but on the whole, it is relatively expensive for the average quality of education you get depending on which program you are in. Facilities: Dorms, apartment, sports, and learning facilities are all sanitary and well-kept. Bathrooms are always clean, and the gym (though somewhat small) is also well-maintained. However, having worked at the school cafeteria, it's important to note that the food is below even mediocre buffet standards and is dismal on weekends, and kitchen is generally disorganized and often not entirely sanitary due to poor management from Pioneer Catering, so do keep that in mind if you have dietary or immune issues. Faith-based environment: While I commend NU for being one of the few genuinely Christian universities in Washington, it does come at the price of the universities policies being homophobic, overly-moralistic, and otherwise generally restrictive of various odd things which change every year. Full time students are forced to accumulate 35 "Spiritual Life Credits" per semester with a $25 fee for each credit missed. This means students have to attend tri-weekly chapel services, which are basically a shoddy version of a church service with what are usually insubstantial messages, and whatever other events qualify for a credit. This is another example of how NU tries to implement after-the-fact charges on students. Homosexual relationships are forbidden on campus on penalty of expulsion, and the universities views towards any kind of sexuality are so backwards that many of the people I knew personally felt sexually repressed and judged. Another major issue is that NU can be oddly aggressive in how they push their brand of "Assemblies of God" Christianity. One of the worst examples of this is when they direct their campus gospel choir members to directly pray for the indoctrination of the spirit in crowd settings and performances without even asking the students if they are comfortable speaking in tongues or even believe in the indoctrination of the spirit in the first place. I have also personally witnessed occasions where they explicitly deny Catholicism as a sect of the Christian faith, and while I'm not Catholic, that is clearly a short-sighted and insulting stance to take on one of the world's largest systems of Biblical faith. Campus Culture: I won't beat around the bush here: The campus culture is made mainly to make homeschoolers feel comfortable. I do NOT say that as an insult since I myself was homeschooled my whole life, though apart from any actual homeschooling community. I say that because quite frankly, between orientation week activities and general weekly campus activities, most of the campus events seem like they were made for children during a Christian summer camp. If you are even somewhat a mature adult with even semi-mature interests, you won't find much to do on campus unless it's with friends (at which point you would be better off finding something else to do off campus with them). The vibe and image are at times disingenuously nice to the point of it being off-putting, something which was especially prevalent during orientation as it becomes very obvious that faculty and student orientation leaders are clearly coached to act a certain way to attempt to put you at ease (which achieves the opposite effect of course). I can only conclude by saying that the NU experience doesn't HAVE to be a bad one despite all the unpleasant details that many of these reviews don't have the wherewithal to mention. Mine was very positive at times, but that is mostly because of the friendships I made along the way, not because of the education and culture, and if you don't fit a certain mold, you may very well have a hard time being comfortable on campus. read more

This university has been a place of much learning and amazing lifelong friendships and relationships! This university is not perfect, but everyone still tries and cares for everyone. The cost of universities in this generation is substantially higher and more difficult to obtain without debt but I can say that throughout the steps of decided finances for this school communication isn't the best but they are always being kind and lending a helping hand. Northwest University is a great place and God is here on this campus! read more

This is a life changing place. If you invest in the community here while you are a student ( I highly suggest living on campus) then I think you will have a hard time not growing. The community is the biggest asset of this school hands down, it is a good academic institution, but when other schools exist in the area for far cheaper, you really are paying to live in Christian community for your time here. Highly recommended. Feel free to reach out to my profile if you have questions honestly. read more

My education hear prepared me for a lifetime of service as both a competent and compassionate person.

Do not do not come here. This place needs to be shut down immediately. If you're disabled, don't bother. If you don't fit in with what the faculty and administration wants they don't want you. I wish I could leave zero stars. This school is the worst of the worst. Never have I been treated that badly. And all because I'm disabled and was older! It wasn't unusual for admins and students to tell me having cerebral palsy was "no big deal" and that being married is more of a disability than cerebral palsy and being hardly able to walk. I can't stand this place. It needs to be shut down so badly. They ignore the ADA regulations and just in general don't care about students. I have heard complaints from friends saying students thoughts are ignored. I wish Dr. Castleberry would see this. His school is an embarassment to Christianity. read more

I was a grad student here. Never before have I seen such a level of incompetence with so-called professionals! They messed up my diploma, as well as several of my program cohorts'. I "graduated" in the spring with a 3.5 gpa and paid all my tuition. As of July, I was still not officially graduated and did not have a diploma. This place is horrid - do not go here! read more

I graduated from Northwest a few years back in 2015. The experience and programs NU offers were invaluable in preparing me for my professional career in the legal field and forward into graduate school. If you or your child is considering NU, I would definitely recommend. read more

My daughter goes to this school and enjoys it immensely! The teachers are fantastic and the music program is unique. She feels safe on the campus. It is a Christian college and if you don't want religious teaching, this would not be the school for you because being a Christian is a big part of this school. read more

As a student of NU I feel cared for by the professors and staff of NU. I am challenged in my academics, athletics, and personal pursuit of God. NU has been an experience that has grown me and equipped me to pursue my career in business with the confidence of Christ. read more

I went to northwest for all four years of undergrad. I graduated with a bachelor of science in nursing. I chose this school because there was no wait list for nursing school. While some of the classes I took were excellent, such as microbiology and scientific writing, others were so faith biased that I was unable to learn what I needed to. For example, the anatomy and physiology class devoted an entire week to how the description of the crucifiction was physically possible. When I graduated, this was my weakest area and took extra classes to fully understand how the human body functions. As for the people, it was like surrounding yourself with wanna be televangelists. The women's primary focus was to appear beautiful and find a husband. I kid you not. Many girls I met dropped out once they were engaged. And if you did not fit into their ideall paradigm, you wereexcluded from any social interaction. Bizarre school. read more

The education and community I found here absolutely changed my life for the better. You want this place to be part of your journey. Five stars isn't enough to describe how amazing NU is! read more

Northwest has been an interesting experience. The lifestyle of the Kirkland area has been a bit of an adjustment and my career here has not gone as well as hoped. But trusting that God is in control and things will pan out in the long run. read more

Nothing could compare to the community at northwest. It is a place where you can not only get a wonderful education, but also be surrounded by professors who get to know you personally (and often invite you into their homes), people who genuinely care about your college experience becoming a joyful place to call home, and a university where your faith will be challenged and strengthened. I full-heartedly recommend Northwest University. read more

I almost feel guilty for feeling pleasure as I read the poor reviews for this school since I profess to be a Christian but, I cannot lie and truly, I am so happy to see that I wasn't imaging things. I also felt that the staff didn't care for students, the professors were a joke (and an expensive joke at that!), the finances and admissions office were shady and let me tell you why. 1. The staff didn't care for students. I had been in a rollover car accident on I-5 North on move-in day. Besides receiving awful seatbelt burn, I also lost my glasses during the roll. I'm blind without my glasses and being a late transfer, had SO much trouble finding my way to class. Perhaps it's not second nature to offer a guide after hearing you lost your glasses but in class, most professors have a no-electronics policy despite this being 2017/18 because students might be "tempted" to surf the web even though we're paying 50k a year to study here and also, we're all kinda adults. Kinda. I guess. I told the professor I was in an accident and need to type notes quickly via my laptop since I couldn't see the PP and was relying solely on hearing and couldn't refer to the notes in front. He told me that he couldn't "bend the rules" since others might think it unfair. I can't believe it took me 24 more hours to leave this institution. 2. Staff being an expensive joke. I think the first point covers this pretty well but another great example is when I waited after class to speak to my religious professor. I don't recall my question but the man literally ignored me. He freaking ignored me and FLIRTED, NON-DISCRETELY for a good 15 minutes. I'm not ugly by any means. I might've looked a little ruffled since I had been in a near death roll over accident going 70 MPH the day before but for heavens sake - save the threesome ambitions for when I leave, Please? I'm sorry that sounds awful, espeically when i claim to be a Christian but please, I truly believe this school is using the name of God to prey on nieve people. Knowing two men who went into seminary with false calls from God (i.e. drinking, pre-maritial sex, etc.), I wouldn't be surprised if this college didn't take too seriously social media searches and testimony verification before choosing to hire professors based on credentials. 3. The admissions office and financial office - concerning. I currently go to Saint Martin's University. I have one concern there and it's nothing serious. It has to do with cliques but that's kind of my fault. Anyway, SMU costs the same as NWU but this bulleted list will give you a breakdown of the vast differences: SMU: Four choices of housing. All room choices come with: Full closet, personal desk, personal dresser, personal nightstand, twin XL bed with lifting options. Certain rooms comes with private bathroom with either a bathtub, shower, or both. All dorms have fresh walls with no holes, writing, or impurities. No mildew - whatsoever. Carpet is kept clean, no stains. Padding in two of four dorms. All dorms come with study lounges with closable glass and wood doors with flat screen TVs and comfortable seating arrangements. Newest dorm has a shop open until late night for all students in which coffee, smoothies, snacks, microwaveable goods, hygiene products, soups, medicine, breads and spreads can be bought with our meal plans. Workout centers in each dorm with lifts, core machines, and treadmills are. The largest, two story gym is located just a bit farther than the dorms. Swimming pool at nearby community college (save money, save time and take classes there too!!!) 24/7 campus security with consistent checks and availability. NWU: 1975 style dorms. Tealights for decor. read more

While Seattle has a whole menu of universities, this is the one for the Eastside. It is small, but as a visitor to their theological library, I find it is not bad at all. There is plenty of parking, a nice café in the student building, and a calm atmosphere. For me it is a great place to study. read more

NU is a great school! The professors genuinely help students learn in a creative environment. I highly recommend checking it out.

Great school! Based upon spiritual vitality. You definitely grow your faith in Jesus Christ at this school.

I love this school! I am so blessed to go here! I have made life longer friendships with both my peers and professors. There is value in community and well as education. Northwest care about the well being of the entire individual, not just the mind and intellect. So grateful for the opportunity to attend this beautiful University. read more

Northwest University has been the most amazing experience I have ever been with this last year. I am a freshman who is Youth and Family Ministry Major and I am so thankful to be able to attend this school. Because being a Christian in college can be very rough on oneself but here at NU since everyone is a Christian we are all able to grow in our faith. Not just by school activities but in our classrooms. read more

Northwest is an amazing place to learn and grow as a developing professional and Christ-follower. There are endless opportunities to learn, network, travel, be employed and mentored, become part of incredible local churches, and build relationships that will last a lifetime! NU is worth the cost! read more

Great school, awesome people. Transferred a two-year Associates Degree here and was able to complete a Bachelors in another two!

I am a former business graduate of Northwest University and currently unemployed seeking fulltime work. During my application process some employers have requested a copy of my transcript. My request for a copy was denied by the school due to outstanding debt that I have with the college. The school was unwilling to extend an exception in order to help me get a job and pay back my debt. My communication with the school reps: Mary Cotton (Student Accounts) and Rosemary Smith (VP of Enrollment) are included. I look forward to the day I'm employed so that I can pay off this debt. My hope is that no one else will have to go through this experience. ______________________________________________________________ "Although I understand your predicament I'm afraid we can not make an exception in this case. You have had a bill owing of more than $9000 for an extended period of time and have made no payments to bring that account to resolution. I understand how difficult it must be to find a job with an employer who is requesting your transcripts we will only be able to release this information once your account is resolved. It is unfortunate that you were not able to make even small payments to try and bring the balance down but you may want to consider this as an option now. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks, Rosemary Smith" _______________________________________________ Hello Ms. Smith, Thank you for your reply while on vacation, I appreciate it. Currently I am unemployed and have been looking for work. Paying off my school debt remains a priority just as soon as I can secure fulltime work. I am grateful that I have had no credit card debt since 2006. Student Loans, NU debt, and medical bills remain outstanding and I look forward to the day that they are paid in full. During my job search some employers have requested copies of my transcripts. On Wednesday I asked the NU registrar office for a copy of my unofficial transcript to submit with a job application I am applying for and was denied per your school policy. Would any consideration be given to someone in my case? When universities withhold transcripts, students like myself who have been indentured by loans and are potentially denied even the ability to work so they can repay their indenture can only hope that there would be some understanding regarding the recession and changes in the way companies choose to hire. I understand the school policy, I am asking for re consideration for my case so that I cam doing all I can do to secure work and pay off my debts. Thanks again for your reply during personal time. _______________________________________________________ Hello Mary, It's my understanding that Ms. Rose-mary Smith will be out of town until July 10th. Is there some one filling in for her that I can contact while she is out of the office? _________________________________________________________ "The transcript request was denied because you have an outstanding balance owing the University. I have copied below from our catalog the policy of Northwest University and the Assemblies of God on the release of transcripts to anyone owing a balance to the University. In order to improve our present educational institutions and to guarantee their future, each student is expected to reimburse the school for the full amount of his/her obligation on or before the close of each semester. No diplomas, certificates, degrees, or transcripts shall be expected or received until satisfactory payment is made for all school obligations. This policy is standard practice for all institutions of higher education. When a prospective employer calls the registrar's office will confirm if you completed a degree from Northwest University. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you, Mary Cotton" _____________________________________________________ Hello Mary, I am trying to obtain a copy of my unofficial transcript. Today I was told by the schools registrar and Sara Halverson that I have been denied access to my transcript. Could you please help me understand why and the schools policy on this. Also, could you please tell me what is said if a prospective employer calls to confirm my BA degree? read more

I was going to wait until I've completed school to write this review, but i'm just so disgusted with this school it is ridiculous. I'm going to make this quick and write more details later. First off the CAPS program is great because each class is 5 weeks long. Its condensed but its only one class you are focusing on at a time. You go to class only one night a week and the rest is online. However, the teachers sit in class and read off of power points. They lack the knowledge to answer any questions you have and the work that is given is not challenging. I had a couple teachers that were very knowledgable but the rest sounded like robots in front of a slide show. The online criminal justice program is a joke. Nothing about going to this school made me feel like i was in college because the work is too easy. There are no tests. Only a few essays and the teachers grade too easy. There have been so many mistakes made its ridiculous. My transcript was missing a class. I had to point that out and have it fixed. One teacher had so many excuses why he was late with things. Like he was sick, he was stuck in a different country...bla bla. By week 5 he had only graded 2 weeks work of work. how are you supposed to learn what to fix on your next assignment if you dont get your grades back from your previous assignments. He took so long I ended up with an F on my transcript. When i spoke to the registrars office to tell them that I had an A for the first 2 weeks but he has not graded the next 3 they said if I didn't like my grade then take it up with the professor. My online criminal justice classes were not posted on time so i had to contact the school twice now which took a couple days to get fixed so i started late And right now I have a class that clearly states on schedule it starts on the 1st. The teacher took a week to write me back and said "the school said it starts on the 8th". And thats it! Didn't even mention that he was going to look into it. Also, I was charged for being a full time student for a whole year when I'm only a full time student the first semester and PT the second. Oh! They pick your classes for you if your in the criminal justice program. They spread out 6 classes from April-December. I asked several times if there was anyway i could close the gaps in my schedule and finish faster. I was told no. I just checked and found out that I can finish in August if i moved a few classes around. Thats a huge difference in time! None of these classes transfer to any schools even though the school told me the business and criminal justice classes will transfer tow WSU and UW. WRONG. I checked with them and they will not take any of these classes. Most of the teachers are are not real professors and it shows. I do not recommend this school and when I'm done will not be getting my masters here. If you are looking for a school where you will actually learn something... Do not go here. IF you just want a degree to say you have one to put on your resume, this is your school. I would recommend, double checking everything they say to you, pay attention to what you are charged and monitor your transcript to make sure it is accurate. sorry for the mistakes, i was typing extremely fast. I'm just so disgusted with this school i just had to quickly get a review out now rather then later. read more

Northwest University does not rate a single star. The faculty is extremely difficult to deal with, and they will over-charge you for everything. Expect at least a $300 fee per year for maintenance, and the rent goes up $50 a year. The faculty does not practice "Carrying the call" and act more like babysitters and dictators than fellow brothers and sisters. read more

My experience here has been the best! Not only does NU offer an incredible community but incredible spiritual growth too! Only a sophomore and the best is yet to come! read more