Founded in 1890, York University provides a nurturing environment that emphasizes faith-based learning and community engagement. The university offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs designed to equip students for lifelong service to God, family, and society. York University inspires students intellectually, physically, and spiritually through a caring Christian community of supportive peers, excellent educators, and passionate alumni. As a private, Christian liberal arts institution located in Nebraska, our close-knit community provides students opportunities to engage in an experience that leads to a lifetime of growth.
| Acronym | YU |
| Nickname | Panthers |
| Motto / Slogan | Transforming lives through Christ-centered education |
| Colour | white and red |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Location | York, Nebraska, United States |
| Address | York University 1125 E 8th St, York, NE 68467 |
The mission of York University is to transform lives through Christ-centered education and to equip students for lifelong service to God, family and society.
York University exists to support God’s transformational work in the lives of people. Curricular and co-curricular programs and experiences intend to lead the entire community to a positive expression of spiritual values.
YU is commited to providing the tools and resources to support your academic success. In addition to our thoughtful faculty, you’ll have access to tutoring services, academic advising and helpful tools.
Every department at York University strives to provide students with the best service possible, providing an environment and opportunity for students to grow and be fully prepared for their sucessful futures after graduation.
International Students:
Submit academic credentials & test scores
?Submit transcripts from international schools to InCred for evaluation. Use [email protected] as the delivery email address, so InCred can notify us when your transcripts have been evaluated. This service involves a fee, but it allows you to send transcripts to multiple institutions, including the NAIA, which is required for athletic eligibility. Students transferring from a U.S.-accredited institution may submit official transcripts directly from those institutions. Please consult your Enrollment Counselor or the Admissions Office for more details.
York University will accept one of the following test scores:
Financial Documents, International Deposit & Costs
USCIS regulations require F-1 students to provide evidence of sufficient funds to cover all costs associated with their studies and living expenses. York University mandates that students submit bank statements for one year demonstrating adequate financial resources to meet university expenses. These documents can be provided by the student, their family, or a sponsor, accompanied by a signed sponsorship letter. While bank statements are the most commonly accepted form of documentation, the Student Accounts Office may consider alternative forms at their discretion. All records must include both the originals and an English translation.
Individual payment plans will be assigned to each international student based on their account balance after institutional scholarships have been applied by the York University business office. The initial payment required is 25% of the first year's balance (after scholarships are applied) plus the enrollment fee. This payment will serve as the international deposit and will be credited to the student's account. Students who are at least 23 years old may apply to live off-campus; however, there will be a 20% reduction in all scholarships for these students. Please inform us if you plan to apply to live off-campus so we can take that into account when determining your international deposit.
After students are accepted, submit their financial documents, and pay their international deposit, the university will review the materials and issue the Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility, if all required items are in order. An I-20 cannot be issued before these steps are completed.
Prospective students must completely fill out the application for Graduate Admission and fully submit required documentation. Applicants must submit the following items to York University’s Graduate Admissions in order to be considered for admission:
General Graduate Entry Requirements
Email: [email protected]
Phone : 402-363-5627, 402-363-5630
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Westbrook completed his MA in historical theology (2002) and his MDiv with an Old Testament concentration (2008) from Harding School of Theology. He earned his PhD in educ... read more
Westbrook has a lengthy record of service in Christian higher education, missions and ministry. He worked at Harding University starting in 2005, where he served as the director of Harding’s Equip — Bible Online Program. He worked in multiple capacities in Harding’s College of Bible and Ministry, including work as associate director of the Institute for Church and Family during his first five years with the university; but his primary focus throughout his time at Harding was developing their online Bible and ministry initiative.
Prior to his work with Harding, Westbrook was a missionary to Hungary from 1995 through 2003, where he served as the team leader. Although he returned more than 20 years ago, he has an ongoing involvement in mission work in Hungary. In addition to his work at Harding, Westbrook was the assistant editor for the Truth for Today Commentary Series from 2003 to 2010.
Stark returned to York University soon after and was appointed athletic director in 2008. His leadership expanded in 2014 when he assumed oversight of enrollment management, guiding the university through an increasingly complex landscape of student recruitment and retention.
In May 2021, Stark was named vice president for advancement, leading one of the most successful fundraising efforts in the institution’s history—the To Honor and To Serve campaign—which raised $20,318,147 for York University.
Most recently, Stark served as interim president during the 2024–2025 academic year, prioritizing student retention and institutional stability. In recognition of his steady leadership and deep commitment to York’s mission, President Westbrook appointed him executive vice president as the first step in shaping his new administration, effective July 1, 2025.
Prior to her appointment, Miles served for five years as a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army, where she worked in communications, trained as a paratrooper, and later reclassified into the medical community; her service included a deployment to Afghanistan and concluded stateside as a respiratory therapist.
Most recently before returning to York, she worked as a registered respiratory therapist at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois.
Before j... read more
In addition to his administrative leadership, Sheldon has also served as an adjunct faculty member at York University, teaching mathematics courses in various terms.
In 1890 the United Brethren Church in conjunction with York citizens conceived the idea of a church-related college. On August 26, 1890, York College welcomed it's first class of students. In 1946, a merger with the Evangelical Church resulted in control of the college passing to the newly-formed Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) Church.
Old Main, the largest building on campus, burned, leaving among its ashes the dreams of the United Brethren.... read more
School administrators decided to continue classes, despite the loss of classrooms and the chemistry lab, within one day of the fire. But for all the brave faces, the loss of Old Main proved fatal for the Evangelical United Brethren college in York. The college remained open through the academic year and continued for three more years before in 1954, the EUB finally closed its doors in York and moved everything to its Westmar, Iowa, campus.
An agreement had existed from the school's beginning that control of the school would pass to the City of York should the governing body ever decide to close the college. Because of this, the city took control of the property and the corporate structure.
Three Nebraska Church of Christ ministers—Hershel Dyer, Donald Michael, and Dale Larsen—began dreaming and discussing the possibilities of the church taking over the abandoned campus. The first step which led to the reopening of York College was a phone call placed by Larsen (left) and Dyer (right) upon their arrival in York on May 18, 1954. After several meetings with York banker E.A. Levitt, a new board of trustees was selected and by May of 1956, YC was revived as a Church of Christ-affiliated college. Harvey Childress became president.
The York College Board of Trustees voted and approved on January 15, 2021, to adopt the name York University. The transition was announced September 23, 2021, by Dr. Sam Smith ’95 during his inauguration as the institution’s 21st president. It was decided that "University" better describes York's profile as a comprehensive higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Recent record enrollments, tripling of the permanent endowment over the past decade, and ongoing fundraising successes provided the right momentum and time to make the transition. The transition is undergirded by a recently launched $15.9 million fundraising campaign, To Honor and To Serve.
The name change also honors the late Dr. Dale Larsen, York College's fourteenth president, whose vision for the school led to his tireless efforts to re-open the shuttered institution in 1956. In his last comments to the campus, delivered by a recorded message during the 2009 homecoming chapel, he said, “And we believe that in years to come instead of calling them (our alumni) former York College students we might even call them former York University students.” While Dr. Larsen’s words were always carefully measured, his dream for the institution was bold and irrepressible.
York University has a long tradition of collegiate competition and is home to 18 Panther Athletic teams. In recent years, the university has been consistently recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for its commitment to a program that builds character in the context of competition. The remarkable success of Panther student-athletes through the years is a tribute to the teams, coaches. The York University Panthers have competed in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) since 2015.