

Baptist Health Sciences University traces its origins to nursing education associated with Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis in 1912. It later operated as Baptist College of Health Sciences before adopting its current university name. That progression helps explain its continuing emphasis on nursing and other health professions rather than a broad liberal-arts curriculum.
Prospective students should distinguish the university from Baptist Memorial Health Care, the larger health system with which it is affiliated. The affiliation is relevant to its clinical focus, but admission to the university does not itself confer a job with the health system.
Baptist Health Sciences University concentrates on health sciences education. Its academic offerings include nursing and fields such as medical laboratory science, radiography, diagnostic medical sonography, respiratory care, health administration, and biomedical sciences. The university also has a college of osteopathic medicine.
Programs differ substantially in the credential they award and in their clinical requirements. An applicant comparing, for example, nursing with radiography should examine the current catalog for the degree level, prerequisite sequence, clinical placement requirements, and any separate admission process. Admission to the university may not mean automatic entry into a particular clinical program.
Baptist Health Sciences University is in Memphis, Tennessee, in an urban medical district setting. Its location is particularly relevant to students whose coursework or clinical training involves health care facilities in the city.
Commuting is a major practical consideration: institutional figures indicate that most students live off campus. Applicants planning around classes and clinical shifts should consider transportation, parking rules, and travel time to assigned clinical sites - not just the trip to a classroom. Memphis International Airport is the nearest major airport.
Baptist Health Sciences University describes its purpose in terms of educating health care professionals and serving communities through a Christian-oriented approach to education. Its Baptist heritage is part of the institution's identity; prospective students can assess how that identity appears in the current curriculum and campus activities.
The university's stated priorities should be understood as institutional aims, not as proof of an individual student's academic or career outcome. Program requirements, clinical expectations, and student conduct policies provide a more concrete picture of how its educational philosophy affects daily study.
Name of the institution
Baptist Health Sciences UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000Religious affiliation
Protestant (Baptist Church)School type
UniversityMain student body
Primarily WomenCalendar system
TrimestersFoundation year
1994Baptist Health Sciences University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Doctor's degree - professional practiceData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.