Northwest University

The information on this page was last updated 2/13/2023. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary

Northwest University is a regionally accredited, Christian institution awarding associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Located in Kirkland, Washington, we have been preparing students to lead in their careers since 1934 and offer a variety of degree programs to meet the needs of an ever-changing society.

Our traditional undergraduate experience includes over 70 majors and programs-as well as off-campus internships-to equip students for success in their careers. Our online degree programs provide the flexibility of classes that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Northwest University
PO Box 579
Kirkland, WA 98083-0579

Website: northwestu.edu

Phone: 425-822-8266

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 910615846

CEO/President: Dr. Joseph Castleberry

Chairman: Dr. Barbara Petty

Board size: 22

Founder: Northwest Ministry Network / Assemblies of God

Ruling year: 1955

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 05/31

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 1997


Purpose

The vision of Northwest University is to Carry the Call, with heart, head, and hand.

Heart

The founders of Northwest University built a community of faith and learning, focused on serving people who are pursuing God's call on their lives. We are convinced that God continues to call every man and woman to a life of faithful, devoted service. Northwest University is committed to being a college of choice for students passionate about confirming and clarifying God's call.

Head

We believe that the best response to God's call is to develop exceptional character and competence. A commitment to scholarship and discipleship grows out of a worldview anchored in Scripture. Northwest University integrates Faith and Truth with powerful, effective teaching in Ministry, Arts, Sciences and the Professions. The entire University community strives to engage biblical Christianity with every aspect of life.

Hand

Northwest University finds its crowning joy in thousands of alumni serving in nearly every profession around the world. They are people showing Christ's love through hands of compassion. Our faculty model lives of wholehearted service. Our students make an impact for the Kingdom in numerous outreaches and ministries. Northwest University is committed to preparing people for service and leadership, doing God's work in God's world.


Mission statement

We, the people of Northwest University, carry the call of God by continually building a learning community dedicated to spiritual vitality, academic excellence, and empowered engagement with human need.


Statement of faith

We believe:

The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule a thousand years.

In the blessed hope-the rapture of the Church at Christ's coming.

The only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ.

Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation.

In water baptism by immersion.

The redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing in the human body in answer to believing prayer.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it.

In the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life.

In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

Transparency grade

A

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Colleges/Universities

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating404 of 109436 of 126
Fund acquisition rating664 of 109782 of 126
Resource allocation rating549 of 109758 of 126
Asset utilization rating217 of 109414 of 126

Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20202019201820172016
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
12%18%31%30%31%35%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
2%1%1%1%1%1%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
15%8%4%4%4%4%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
2%2%1%1%1%1%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
85%92%96%96%96%96%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20202019201820172016
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
84%84%85%85%84%85%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
95%95%96%97%98%98%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
79%80%81%83%82%84%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
5%5%4%3%2%2%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
4%10%9%5%5%4%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
13%14%14%13%14%13%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20202019201820172016
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.500.850.840.810.770.74
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
2.673.283.543.823.964.35
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.552.792.973.103.053.24
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20202019201820172016
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
7.303.392.882.802.682.37
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.140.290.350.360.370.42
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
6.283.042.642.492.472.14
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20202019201820172016
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
25%54%57%59%62%66%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
15%43%45%47%46%48%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
141%55%51%51%50%46%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20202019201820172016
Cash$8,212,061$7,096,025$6,497,840$6,327,621$3,869,072
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$2,680,463$2,818,663$2,318,594$2,985,071$2,723,733
Short-term investments$8,142,602$7,484,351$7,132,896$6,285,965$7,397,256
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$19,035,126$17,399,039$15,949,330$15,598,657$13,990,061
Long-term investments$0$0$0$0$0
Fixed assets$43,319,162$44,179,308$44,865,375$46,031,778$46,645,833
Other long-term assets$35,994$62,276$102,766$127,794$262,805
Total long-term assets$43,355,156$44,241,584$44,968,141$46,159,572$46,908,638
Total assets$62,390,282$61,640,623$60,917,471$61,758,229$60,898,699
 
Liabilities20202019201820172016
Payables and accrued expenses$3,547,756$3,945,635$3,526,851$3,733,001$3,565,014
Other current liabilities$2,067,212$2,090,696$2,177,435$2,078,636$2,342,962
Total current liabilities$5,614,968$6,036,331$5,704,286$5,811,637$5,907,976
Debt$26,581,276$27,748,919$28,887,359$28,475,083$29,264,466
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$1,263,695$1,391,920$1,332,712$3,888,640$4,975,914
Total long-term liabilities$27,844,971$29,140,839$30,220,071$32,363,723$34,240,380
Total liabilities$33,459,939$35,177,170$35,924,357$38,175,360$40,148,356
 
Net assets20202019201820172016
Without donor restrictions$27,984,582$25,826,744$24,322,144$22,803,510$20,086,132
With donor restrictions$945,761$636,709$670,970$779,359$664,211
Net assets$28,930,343$26,463,453$24,993,114$23,582,869$20,750,343
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20202019201820172016
Total contributions$4,533,739$2,282,125$2,083,586$2,108,696$1,878,751
Program service revenue$49,876,182$50,125,440$46,989,215$45,199,569$43,537,710
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$807,207$713,238$823,360$532,565$192,919
Other revenue$791,857$847,157$765,741$910,234$476,148
Total other revenue$51,475,246$51,685,835$48,578,316$46,642,368$44,206,777
Total revenue$56,008,985$53,967,960$50,661,902$48,751,064$46,085,528
 
Expenses20202019201820172016
Program services$44,769,475$43,779,264$42,140,369$40,104,923$38,619,507
Management and general$7,421,455$7,134,516$6,611,874$6,850,617$5,999,225
Fundraising$822,764$704,825$624,724$648,314$657,513
Total expenses$53,013,694$51,618,605$49,376,967$47,603,854$45,276,245
 
Change in net assets20202019201820172016
Surplus (deficit)$2,995,291$2,349,355$1,284,935$1,147,210$809,283
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$2,995,291$2,349,355$1,284,935$1,147,210$809,283

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
Joseph CastleberryUniversity President$282,004
John JordanCFO$171,343
Sarah DrivdahlDean$134,450
Don DetrickDirector$9,252
Ray GarzaDirector$4,291

Compensation data as of: 5/31/2020


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 2/13/2023. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

Northwest University was founded by the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God and opened to students on October 1, 1934. The District Presbytery appointed Dr. Henry H. Ness to be the first president. The University was housed in the facilities of Hollywood Temple, Seattle, Washington, for the first twenty-five years of its existence.

Dr. C.E. Butterfield succeeded Dr. Ness in 1949, and Dr. D.V. Hurst assumed the presidency in 1966 and served through 1990. He was succeeded by Dennis A. Davis, who served from 1990 - 1998, and by Dr. Don Argue, who served from 1998 - 2007. Dr. Joseph Castleberry is the sixth president of Northwest University.

Originally known as Northwest Bible Institute, its institutional name was changed to Northwest Bible College in 1949, Northwest College of the Assemblies of God in 1962, and to Northwest University in 2005. Each change represented a stage in its curricular development.

Academically the University progressed from a three- to a four-year curriculum in 1948, and in 1955, a Liberal Arts division was organized. Milestones of academic development and progress were marked by the achievement of professional accreditation by the American Association of Bible Colleges in 1953, and in 1973 by the granting of regional accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

In May, 1992, Northwest University became the eighty-fifth college approved for membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, an association of Christ-centered colleges and universities of the liberal arts and sciences.

In 1958, the University secured a new thirty-five acre campus in Kirkland, in the greater metropolitan area of Seattle. Since then 21 more acres have been added to make the present fifty-six acre campus. Located at 108th Avenue N.E. and N.E. 53rd Street just ten miles from downtown Seattle, the campus is an ideal setting for study, recreation, and inspiration. The campus is also near to industry and close-at-hand employment opportunities.

Over the years, the University's graduates and former students have engaged in full-time Christian service in professional, business, or vocational occupations in fulfillment of their educational objectives at the University.


Program accomplishments


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