Strategic Partners
Community Foundation of Abilene
The Community Foundation of Abilene is dedicated to building endowments to enrich the quality of life in Abilene and the surrounding areas. We accept gifts, administer funds, invest assets and make grants to charitable organizations on behalf of the donors who entrust us with their funds and often designate the charitable area that their endowment should be used.
Since 1986, the Foundation has been a force for good in the Abilene community and across our region. Our mission is to "Endow Abilene," meaning that we believe our community and region are strengthened by having a source of community charitable capital to improve and maintain the quality of life we presently enjoy.
Abilene Christian University
More than 4,800 students, including about 550 graduate students, come to ACU from 50 states and 60 countries. We have a diverse and global environment, which we believe enriches student learning. Our students are served by about 200 faculty members who focus on high-quality teaching, scholarship and service. More than 90 percent of tenure-track faculty hold terminal degrees. The student/faculty ratio is less than 17:1. The faculty and administrators are actively involved as leaders and presenters in many national professional associations, and ACU is an active member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
The university offers generous merit scholarships to incoming students with exceptional academic records and demonstrated leadership skills, and ACU attracts some of the nation's brightest students who want to study in a Christian environment. Students have found that the small classes (average size is 17) taught by talented, caring faculty members provide them an advantage when they search for jobs after graduation or apply to graduate schools. Because ACU's teachers know their students so well and often serve as mentors, they are able to provide excellent references to medical schools, law schools, graduate programs and future employers.
Hardin Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University, a church-related institution affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, fosters the intellectual development of students by providing an academically challenging undergraduate education based upon a liberal arts foundation, and advances scholarly growth by offering specialized graduate and professional degree programs.
Academic excellence continues as a priority at Hardin-Simmons University as it has for more than a century. The core curriculum involves students in a broad range of inquiry relating general studies with requirements of the chosen major. Graduate programs broaden the scope of learning in scientific and professional disciplines and encourage students to regard learning as a lifelong process. Small classes taught by experienced scholars give the opportunity for interactive learning. The institution's commitment to excellence is best illustrated through the lives of graduates who traditionally have excelled in a wide variety of fields.
Founded in 1891 by a determined group of ministers, ranchers and merchants, Hardin-Simmons University established dual goals of developing the mind and nurturing the spiritual life of its students. That commitment to encourage growth in faith and knowledge has remained central. Believing academic excellence and Christian faith to be complementary, the University emphasizes the need for interaction between faith and reason. HSU encourages individuals to lead lives of service through active involvement in intellectual, cultural and religious life, both on the campus and in the larger communities of Abilene and the world.
McMurry University
Founded in 1923, McMurry University has gained a national reputation for excellence and value through the achievements of our faculty, students, and graduates. We are a liberal arts university offering bachelor's degrees in the fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, business, education, and nursing. Steeped in our United Methodist tradition, our 1400 students are affected daily by our Core Values: Christian Faith as the foundation of life, Personal Relationships as the catalyst for life, Learning as the journey of life, Excellence as the goal of life, and Service as the measure of life. We boast of an outstanding faculty and staff whose goal is to maximize each student's level of achievement and to expose them to those qualities that go into making a successful life. We have been recognized annually since 1996 by US News & World Report for quality and value. You can also read about us in 100 Colleges Where Average Students Can Excel.
We are located on 40 acres in a quiet residential section of Abilene, Texas, a city of 115,930. Just as our university is large enough to offer excellent opportunities while avoiding the impersonal experience of a large school, Abilene is large enough to offer the amenities of a major city while retaining the safety, convenience, and charm of a small town. Recognized by Money Magazine as one of the top 100 safest places to live, Abilene has been an All-America City and a consistent winner in USA Today's "Make a Difference Day". Our monthly Art Walk in the restored downtown area is an exciting cultural event that has been showcased on Good Morning America as a model for downtown renewal. McMurry and Abilene are within a comfortable drive of most major cities and attractions of the Great State of Texas.