Manchester University traces its origin to the Roanoke Classical Seminary founded by the United Brethren Church in Roanoke, Indiana in 1860. The seminary became North Manchester College when it was moved to North Manchester, Indiana in 1889. Representatives of the Church of the Brethren purchased the campus in 1895 and deeded it to four State Districts of the Church in 1902. The number of supporting districts increased and, by 1932, Manchester College served the five-state area of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Rapid growth of the public high school and increasing interest in higher education resulted in a gradual shift of emphasis from an academy and Bible school to a college of liberal arts. The academy was discontinued in 1923.

Mount Morris College in Mount Morris, Illinois, merged with Manchester College in 1932. Founded as a Methodist seminary in 1839, Mount Morris had been purchased by representatives of the Church of the Brethren in 1879 and operated under the name of the Rock River Seminary and College Institute until 1884, when the name was changed to Mount Morris College. The merger of Mount Morris College and Manchester College came about when the Church of the Brethren decided its educational program would be strengthened by pooling its resources in a smaller number of colleges.

Established in 1948, the Peace Studies Institute and Program in Conflict Resolution at Manchester University pioneered as the first undergraduate Peace Studies program in the world. 

In February 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to an overflow audience at Manchester on “The Future of Integration.”

In July 2012, Manchester College became Manchester University, and in August 2012, enrolled its first doctoral class in pharmacy at a second campus in Fort Wayne, Ind.

In May 2016, Manchester University launched the nation's first dedicated master's degree in pharmacogenomics.

The relationship of Manchester University with the Church of the Brethren continues. The University accents this relationship and welcomes students of all faiths to its campus.

Manchester University has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (230 S. LaSalle, Ste. 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604) since 1932. Learn more about Manchester’s accreditation for its academic programs here.