Northwest Nazarene University was granted an exception to Title IX in 2014 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.

Each college is also bound by a gentlemen's agreement not to actively recruit outside its respective educational region.

[18] The university's Notice of Non-discrimination states that "The University maintains the right, with regard to its lifestyle covenant, employment, and other matters, to uphold and apply its religious beliefs related to, among other issues, marriage, sex (gender), gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexual activity.

Kent R. Hill, the former administrator for USAID's Bureau for Global Health and former president of the Eastern Nazarene College (1992-2001), Richard Hieb, NASA astronaut, author Donna Fletcher Crow, and theologian Thomas Jay Oord.

Notable former faculty members include Fred J. Shields, H. Orton Wiley, Ben Fischer and Olive Winchester.