Tennessee Wesleyan University (TWU), located near downtown Athens, Tennessee, combines the rich resources of a large university with a personalized focus on liberal arts education. Since its founding in 1857, TWU has been committed to helping students pursue meaningful lives. The university offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs to prepare students for in-demand careers in business, science, medicine, and education. Faculty and staff empower students to reach their full potential through holistic and transformative learning experiences encompassing classroom instruction, fieldwork, and community engagement.

Tennessee Wesleyan University was founded in 1857 as Athens Female College, initially consisting of only one building (now the Old College Building). In 1866, the school was renamed East Tennessee Wesleyan College, and in 1867 it became East Tennessee Wesleyan University. At the time, it was one of the few co-educational universities in the American South.

In 1886, President John F. Spence renamed the school Grant Memorial University in an attempt to secure funding from northern donors. In 1889, the school merged with the University of Chattanooga to form US Grant Memorial University (US representing the initials of Grant), becoming a branch campus of the merged university in Athens. Seventeen years later (1906), the school was renamed the Athens School of the University of Chattanooga.

In 1925, the college separated from Chattanooga University to become Tennessee Wesleyan College, operating as a junior college. In 1957, Tennessee Wesleyan College became a liberal arts college and began awarding bachelor’s degrees.

In February 2016, the school announced that it would change its name to Tennessee Wesleyan University on July 1 of that year, marking the first time in 91 years that the school had changed its name.