[5] Whitworth competes athletically at the NCAA Division III level in the Northwest Conference as the Pirates.

[7] Whitworth merged with Spokane Junior College in 1942, when the latter shut down due to financial difficulties during World War II.

[8] The board of trustees voted to change the institution's name to Whitworth University in 2006, which became effective July 1, 2007.

Due to an expanding student body, the university has invested more than $170 million in campus improvements in recent years.

The university offers 21 varsity sports and competes in the Northwest Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.

Men's sports include cross country, football, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, soccer and baseball; women compete in soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, tennis, lacrosse and softball.

[31] Whitworth has won a total of 13 Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophies, including the last 12 in a row (2008–2019).

[33] The ASWU is composed of four executive officers (President, Vice President, Finance Director and Communications Director)[34] who coordinate the student government and lead the student body, several residence hall senators and representatives who represent specific living areas and hold voting power, and coordinators who are responsible for programming in specialized areas.