[5] Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (NBTS), which was founded in 1913.

[6] In the early 1960s, when the seminary portion of Northern moved from Chicago to Lombard it was decided to make the college an independent entity.

[15][16] The Draewell Gallery, housed in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, hosts student work as well as exhibits from artists across the country and around the world.

The School of Art, Design and Architecture features a Lecture and Exhibition Series each fall and spring semester.

[17] The Judson University Theater Program offers a musical, a traditional play and a Nowhere Near Broadway production each fall and spring semester.

In recent years, the theater program has produced Shakespeare performances and such plays as Steel Magnolias, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Children of Eden", Newsies.

They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the North Central Region of the Division I level.

The Eagles previously competed in the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) of the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1973–74 to 1995–96.

[20] Past guest speakers have included former U.S. President George W. Bush, former General Secretary of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Mexican President Felipe Calderón.,[21][22] Queen Noor of Jordan.,[23] Newt Gingrich,[24] Caroline Kennedy,[24] and Howard Dean.

[30][31] The conference welcomes hundreds of educators from all over the world to hear from a diverse group of speakers about new instructional methods for elevating literacy in K-12 students.

[32][33] Judson's 90-acre (36.4 ha) campus is located on the banks of the Fox River, about 45 miles (72 km) west of Chicago.

The university campus was purchased in 1963, when Dr. Benjamin Browne visited the original 19-acre (7.69 ha) country estate, known as Braeburn-on-the-Fox, and offered the owner $100,000.