Mission   
The mission of Southwestern Adventist University is to offer quality higher education in a Christ-centered environment.

In the late 1800s, a group of pioneers acted on their conviction that classroom learning and work experience compliment each other to make a quality education. The result, Southwestern Adventist University was founded in 1893 as Keene Industrial Academy. Junior college level work was first offered in 1916 and the name was changed to Southwestern Junior College. The name was changed to Southwestern Union College in 1963. In 1977, the college was renamed Southwestern Adventist College. Graduate level work was first offered in 1987; nine years later the institution changed its name to Southwestern Adventist University. The University has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1958; first as a Level I institution (associate degrees), then in 1970 as a Level II institution (baccalaureate degrees), and since 1989 as a Level III institution (graduate degrees).