Malone History

In 1892, a young Friends couple named Walter and Emma Malone opened a college in a rented home in Cleveland that would eventually become known as Malone University.

Inspired by young people in their community who “had the call of the Lord in their hearts,” the Malones’ vision was “to open a small school where the Bible could be taught every day and supervision given in practical Christian work, such as visiting the sick, calling in homes, and personal evangelism.” The College initially attracted students from the surrounding area, but enrollment steadily increased.

In 1957, with more young men and women arriving from neighboring states, Cleveland Bible College relocated to Canton and was renamed Malone College in honor of its founders. The curriculum also changed and Malone became a Christian liberal arts college. The Christian liberal arts approach, the very essence of Malone, is widely recognized today as producing exceptional graduates, not only for today’s competitive marketplace, but for all aspects of life.

In 2008, Malone College became Malone University. A fully-accredited Christian university, Malone offers a strong educational experience based on biblical faith. 

Malone Today

Today, Malone University is comprised of the College of Theology, Arts, and Sciences; the School of Education and Human Development; the School of Business and Leadership; and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Malone is a Christian university for the arts, sciences, and professions in the liberal arts tradition, affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church, offering nearly 50 majors, more than 40 minors, and 11 graduate programs, as well as a wide variety of activities including NCAA DII athletics, music, service-learning, and fun social events comprise our lively campus.

Enrollment is approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students, coming from 35 states, 16 countries, and more than 40 denominations. There are nearly 14,000 living alumni living in Northeast Ohio and throughout the world.

Malone University continues to rank among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest in a recent survey by U.S. News & World Report, achieving #75 among 173 institutions for 2018. Malone is also identified by U.S. News as a Best Value School, ranking 41st among 77 colleges and universities in the Midwest. College Consensus selected Malone as one of five institutions in Northeast Ohio to be included on their “Best Colleges in Ohio” list, and Washington Monthly again included Malone on their “Best Bang for the Buck” list based on its performance with graduation rates and test scores as well as price of education and graduates’ salaries. In 2018 and 2019, the first-time pass rate for bachelor of science in nursing graduates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) was 100%; similarly, in 2017, social work graduates passed the licensure exam at a rate of 100%, 29 percent higher than the national average. The University has had four faculty Fulbright Scholars in the last ten years and 80% of the full-time faculty have earned the terminal degree in their discipline.