King University Viewbook 2022-23

Your Journey Begins Here

Start here

The first steps along a new path can feel exciting, challenging, and full of promise. We know what it’s like, and we’re here to help you begin.

“When I arrived on campus a feeling of peace came over me. It is such a beautiful campus, and the welcoming nature of the King community is very persuasive.”

—Eden Foster ‘24

We could start by telling you...

Not long into your journey, you’ll discover that King can feel like home. It’s been that way from the very start, mainly because of the legacy of kindness and support provided by faculty, staff, fellow students, alumni – everyone in the King community, for generations.

Take a around. Look

Here on campus there’s lots of room to explore. Visit with friends on the Oval, fish in the campus pond, take a scenic run – or, if you prefer the indoors, enjoy our fitness facilities.

Bristol’s annual Rhythm & Roots Reunion welcomes nationally recognized artists and tens of thousands of fans to State Street every September.

Hometown adventures

Bristol is a mix of small-town comfort and big-city fun. Discover a range of restaurants, bakeries and one-ofa-kind shops downtown, or shop familiar outlets at the Pinnacle.

Music fans can catch live performances at multiple venues on State Street, the Hard Rock entertainment center, and at the annual Rhythm & Roots Reunion, held each September.

Our area also offers numerous hiking and biking trails, opportunities to paddleboard and kayak on South Holston Lake and regional rivers, some of the finest fly fishing in the nation, and snowboarding and skiing, in season – all against the backdrop of hazy blue mountains.

Blackbird Bakery

State Street borders Tennessee and Virginia

Bloom Cafe

You have a calling.

King is a Christian university. While you don’t have to be a Christian to attend, it does mean we believe you bear the image of God and are worthy of love, respect, and belonging, regardless of your accomplishments or possessions.

It also means we believe you have a calling, one that only you can fulfill.

“I instantly fell in love with this area and the mountains surrounding every town. It slightly reminded me of the Adirondacks, where my family would go camping each summer.”

- Mhari Reid ‘21

King is a community that integrates faith and learning. Because of this, students attend their choice of weekly chapel and convocation services, hearing from faculty and guests including nationally recognized authors, poets, and leaders through the Institute for Faith & Culture.

Service to others is also a central element in the King experience, with the opportunity to support local organizations as well as travel nationally and internationally to assist others. Students earn 12 credit hours per semester with attendance at chapel, convocation, or participation in service activities.

Where does it Lead?

It’s our calling to help you discover and achieve yours.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience … and over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12

Students help the Boys & Girls club during a recent King Service Day.

Photo by Emily Ball, Bristol Herald Courier

“I find what I do happens just as much outside the classroom as it does within. My job here is not to teach just facts and information, but also how to be prepared for life, how to face challenges and struggle and sometimes fail – and then also how to celebrate and experience elation when success comes.”

- Kelly Vaughan, Ph.D., Chair & Associate Professor, Biology

Often the best classrooms have no walls. King infuses academics with a spirit of adventure, offering students the chance to travel around the nation and world with the leadership of faculty and the companionship of friends. Two trips each year lead to destinations throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and more, in programs from Accounting to Zoology. Scholarships, financial aid and tuition exchange programs are available, and King maintains travel relationships with select associates, including:

American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)

Arcadia University College of Global Studies

International Studies Abroad (ISA)

Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI)

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

Wayfinders

King’s faculty and staff are here to provide an informed perspective on where you want to go, and to help you steer out into the landscape of your future career.

- Jan Kuljak ‘23

“It’s a very diverse population here, so you get to meet a lot of friends and other international students. Everybody supports each other. This community of friends – of really good friends – I’ll surely keep for my entire life.”

Many pathways point to a career.

Find yours here.

Your way forward might lead toward work in nursing, or business. Or in the fields of art, technology, or ministry – there are numerous ways to achieve success while also serving others.

Our graduates are well equipped to excel in their careers or invest in further education. Among King grads:

80% are employed, with a higher average salary level than graduates of other regional institutions*

15% are engaged in graduate or additional education

The remaining 5% are involved in service opportunities and mission work, among other pursuits

Thanks to our generous network of donors, 100% of King graduates carry the advantage of a private degree, but not the accompanying debt – on average, our graduates’ debt is almost the same as students who attended publicly funded institutions

King hosts five different schools within the University, including:

The College of Arts and Sciences

School of Health and Professional Services

School of Business, Economics and Technology School of Education

School of Nursing

For the most up-to-date list of our majors and programs, scan here.

Strong in body, mind, and soul.

King fields teams that consistently compete at championship levels. But our primary mission is to utilize athletics as a medium to teach valuable life skills that prepare our students for success, postgraduation. With the words Lead, Serve, Achieve, guiding our daily decisions, we aim to produce true servant leaders who excel in every aspect of life.

Lead. Serve. Achieve.

King is a member of Conference Carolinas and competes in NCAA Division II. Student-athletes on our 28 intercollegiate teams achieve amazing levels of success, both academically and athletically:

Since 2011, teams have won a total of 31 Conference Carolinas regular season or postseason championships

The women’s wrestling and cycling programs have combined for 11 National Championships

The average GPA for student-athletes has remained above a 3.0 each year

12 student-athletes have received the Conference Carolinas Elite 23 Award for having the top GPA at the Conference Carolinas Championship final site

36 student-athletes have been named the Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year for their respective sport

9 student-athletes have been named Academic All-American

Tornado athletic teams have won a combined 30 Conference Carolinas Messick Awards for sportsmanship, including the overall Messick Award in 2015 and 2020

Two alumnae of the women’s wrestling program have competed at the Olympic level, including Sarah Hildebrandt, who won bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Rikkelle Miller

Tornado softball standout Rikkelle Miller came to King University in search of success.

“I wanted to win,” she said. “I just basically wanted to win.”

Not only has Miller excelled on the diamond – she’s the program’s first All-America selection by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) – but she has also found people and a place that she loves.

“When you have great coaches who are great people off the field, it makes things easy,” she said. “When I transferred, I asked ‘who am I going to be around?’ Because when you’re a student-athlete in college, you are going to be around those coaches the majority of the time. So I really tried to focus on the people I would be around and learn from, because they are like a parent and a mentor away from home.”

King’s location and campus were another draw for the Georgia native.

“I definitely enjoy the mountains and the scenery,” she said.

Miller earned her undergraduate degree in business administration and is now working on a Master of Business Administration.

“Coming to King gave me a great opportunity to meet new people I necessarily wouldn’t have, otherwise, and also to get my master’s in a year,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of people who are 22 years old with two degrees.”

“When you have great coaches who are great people off the field, it makes things easy…they are like a parent and a mentor away from home.”

- Rikkelle Miller

Student Profile

- Joe Snyder

Joe Snyder

Joe Snyder had several options for his college education. The talented golfer was sought after by several schools for his skills on the course and in the classroom. But when it came time for him to choose a school, it was King University that stood out from the others.

“It is a three-in-one combination,” the Sullivan East High School graduate said. “I get a really good education, I am close to home, and I get to play golf at a Division II level. It was a no-brainer.”

Snyder knows that his time in the classroom will pay dividends in the long run, thanks to King’s dedicated and caring faculty.

“By going to King, you get a better education than you do at most schools, thanks to the great student-teacher ratio,” he said. “The professors at King really do care and they want to help you in life.”

One surprising benefit of attending King for Snyder has been the new – and diverse – friendships he has made.

“I have met some really cool people from other countries. Being from East Tennessee, I wasn’t really exposed to much diversity,” he said. “Being at King, I have met people from Norway, Thailand, Sweden, Spain – and all kinds of other countries. I never really thought that I would have friends in other countries, but it turns out they are some of my best friends.”

Snyder is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management.

“By going to King you get a better education than you do at most schools, thanks to the great student-teacher ratio. The professors at King really do care, and they want to help you.”

A recent production of “A Winter’s Tale” from King’s Theatre Department

A path filled with Beauty

Your time at King includes opportunities to experience, appreciate, and participate in the arts – a way forward that adds wisdom, eloquence, and texture to life.

The Sign of the George Letterpress

Need help mapping your future?

We’ll help you Set your Course

Our alumni represent dozens of careers and hundreds of companies, providing leadership and support to industries throughout the nation.

These include:

• Healthcare

• Criminal Justice

• Motorsports

• Tourism & Travel

• Business Administration

• Legal Affairs

“King has taught me to not be afraid to ask for help and not to be afraid to fail. I’ve also learned to build relationships with people you can count on, and most importantly, to trust in God and walk in faith, not fear.”

Trinity Lee

‘22

Ph.D. student, Aerospace Engineering, UC Irvine

“No matter how large a company grows or how many clients it serves, its success is based in how well it fosters community. This principle has guided King from the very start, and students who discover the University find a supportive, caring network of professionals whose calling is to invest in their future.”

President

Manager

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want go far, go together. The great thing about King is that it gave me the tools to succeed in the world, and the community to ensure that I would be supported. I currently work in public policy and electoral politics. As an undergraduate student at King, my professors gave me the flexibility to work on campaigns during the academic calendar and supported my political work during the summers. That encouragement and guidance helped me to be prepared for the perpetually evolving world of policy. I am grateful for the people who made it possible for me to achieve my goals.”

Calvin McRae ‘07, ‘10

Jerry Caldwell ‘97

& General

Bristol Motor Speedway

Choosing a university can

a winding trail

seem like

Navigating the landscape of financial aid can seem like a challenge. That’s why King provides knowledgeable counselors to guide you through the process.

Let’s go forwardtogether

Want an estimate that can help you set your course?

Visit our Net Price Calculator at king.edu/FinancialAid.

It’s always been King’s goal to make private higher education affordable – and to help reduce any related debt. Thanks to a generous network of donors, we can say that:

Tuition and fees at King are more than $5,000 below the national average*

All new freshmen receive an academic scholarship ranging from $11,000 to $17,000

98% of students with need receive some type of financial aid Transfer students who meet a minimum GPA requirement receive a scholarship

King graduates carry some of the lowest debt among regional institutions, and

King graduates have the highest average salary, compared to graduates of other regional institutions*

We’re here to help you Begin

Meet your first Guide

King’s Enrollment Counselors serve as your first, friendly introduction to our campus community. They’re here to help answer questions, offer a tour, and connect you with others who can share insight on the King experience. Reach out today!