Distinctively King

Our Mission

We prepare students in our Christian academic community to excel as thoughtful, resourceful, and responsible citizens with a passion for serving God, the Church, and the world.

An Education for Life

  • Prepare to Excel — King University is grounded in liberal arts education—preparing you to become a curious and engaged thinker. King graduates often continue their education at some of the most elite and prestigious graduate programs in the country.

  • Connect with Your Professors — The faculty at King are actively engaged in teaching and advising. You will have access to an advisor in your anticipated discipline and benefit from personalized advising by full-time faculty members throughout your King experience. (Link to faculty listing).

  • Enhance Your Education through Research — King faculty invite you into the research process, providing you with opportunities to engage in original research and then present at local, regional, and national conferences.

  • Enrich Your Character through Faith and Learning — The King Institute for Faith & Culture places you at the intersection of faith and culture through an impressive array of speakers, musicians, and artists each year with events held both on campus and in the community. Chapel services host outstanding guest speakers, student-led music, and uplifting worship activities.

  • Expand Your Perspective through Study Abroad — You will have the opportunity to study well beyond the geographic boundaries of Bristol. Whether it be a short-term summer trip or an entire semester abroad, King offers a wide range of programs for study abroad.

  • Achieve Success — King is committed to providing the resources and services that you need to be successful. A Student Success Specialist is assigned to each student to help navigate the college experience. Peer and online tutoring is also available through King’s Academic Center for Excellence.

An Experience of a Lifetime

  • Learn Career Skillsets — Hands-on learning is a significant part of the King Experience and is fully integrated into the curriculum for many majors such as nursing, education, exercise science, business, social work, and more. Opportunities for undergraduate research, internships, job shadowing, and learning through service are available to all students.

  • Connect at Experience DC — Consistently cited by alumni as one of the most significant and meaningful collegiate experiences at King, you will participate in an unforgettable learning experience with a trip to Washington, DC.

  • Benefit from a Diversity of Backgrounds — King welcomes students from various backgrounds and experiences, knowing that diversity strengthens our community. Students originate from more than 23 countries (2021) and all 50 states.

  • Get Plugged In — Get involved with a diverse selection of clubs and student organizations focused on academic disciplines, common interests, and community service. Leadership opportunities abound.

  • Participate in Athletics — Whether you are an accomplished athlete, enthusiastic sports spectator, or interested in intramurals, you can participate in collegiate athletics. The Tornado are a competitive force within Conference Carolinas – both athletically and academically with numerous conference, regional, and national championships along with an impressive number of scholar athletes and academic all-Americans. In addition, a robust intramural athletics program gives all students the opportunity to play and compete in a variety of sports including dodgeball, flag football, indoor soccer, and more.

  • Create Memories — You will create lifetime memories in community living. As a residential student, you’ll enjoy full access to continuous dining throughout the day (7a-7p) with our food service provider, Metz, Inc.

  • Find Your Passion for Service — You will have the opportunity to serve others and engage with the local community to make a difference with service projects such as Coats for Kids, Feeding America, and the local YWCA. There are many opportunities to participate in unique and life changing service and mission projects throughout the year.

  • Get Career Ready — Career Services provides guidance and counseling in networking, resume development, internships, and job placement as you move from choosing a major to actionable steps in preparing for life beyond King.

A Destination Like None Other

  • Discover Bristol — King is located in the city of Bristol, a twin city that straddles the Tennessee/Virginia state line, which runs the length of State Street in our historic downtown. Recognized as the Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol is also home to the world’s fastest half-mile in NASCAR, the Bristol Motor Speedway.

    • Shop, dine, and play at The Pinnacle, a regional open air shopping destination with dozens of shopping, dining, and entertainment options conveniently located just off I-81.

  • Explore the Outdoors — If the outdoors is more your scene, Bristol doesn’t disappoint. The Appalachian Trail is just minutes away along with easy access to multiple national forests (Pisgah, Cherokee, Jefferson) as well as the most visited national park in the United States, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

  • Encounter Even More — Beyond Bristol, the greater Tri-Cities area provides a great mix of urban accessibility, shopping, culture, and rustic appeal with historic towns like Abingdon, VA and Jonesborough, TN and larger metropolitan areas like Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC.

  • Worship Your Way — Bristol and the surrounding area offers places of worship from all denominations including non-denominational churches. Whether you prefer contemporary, traditional, country, or a casual coffee shop atmosphere, you have many worship options to choose from, and King will help you get connected.