Concordia University Texas marks its centennial in 2026, celebrating a century of Christ-centered education, service, and leadership. Its Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing track carries that legacy forward through online coursework, hands-on labs, clinical rotations, and student support in Austin and Dallas.
In 2026, Concordia University Texas celebrates its 100th anniversary. The milestone honors a century of Christ-centered education and a legacy shaped by faith, service, learning, and leadership. It also invites students to consider how Concordia Texas’s founding mission continues through its academic offerings, including the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) track.
For career changers and transfer students, that connection between heritage and present-day education matters. The university’s century-long commitment to preparing people for meaningful work now extends to a blended nursing track that combines online coursework with in-person skills and simulation labs and clinical rotations.
Celebrating 100 Years of Concordia University Texas
Concordia Texas’s centennial theme looks both backward and forward. This year is a time to celebrate the university’s beginnings, give thanks for the people who shaped its first century, and move confidently into the next 100 years.
The anniversary also reflects the scale of the university’s development. What began in 1926 as a Lutheran school preparing church workers has become a university serving students from Texas and beyond. Even as its reach has expanded, the university continues to identify Christ-centered education, purpose, service, and faith as central to its work.
The History of Concordia University Texas
Concordia Texas opened in 1926 as Lutheran Concordia College of Texas, a four-year high school located on a 20-acre site along East Avenue, north of downtown Austin At the time, the surrounding area was largely open countryside, and some questioned whether the campus was too far from the city. As Austin developed around the property, Concordia grew as well, responding to changing educational needs while retaining its Lutheran identity. In 2007, Concordia Texas purchased the former Schlumberger campus, a 437-acre property known as the Austin Hill Country Reserve. The university’s new Northwest Austin campus opened in 2008 with renovated academic buildings, student housing, athletic facilities, and a 250-acre nature and wildlife preserve.
The Centennial declaration, “With God We Shall Do Valiantly,” comes from Psalm 108:13. The verse was used during Concordia’s first opening service in 1926, setting a spiritual tone for the institution’s founding. As the theological anchor of the Centennial, it affirms that Concordia moves forward not through its own strength alone, but through faithful dependence on God.
The Mission and Values That Shape the Student Experience
The university’s history is closely tied to its current mission, vision, and core values. Concordia Texas seeks to empower students of all backgrounds to lead lives marked by critical thought, compassionate action, and courageous leadership. As a liberal arts university rooted in the Lutheran tradition, it also emphasizes the development of the mind, heart, soul, and body in preparation for lives of service.
Faith and Service
Christ-centered education remains one of Concordia Texas’s core commitments. The university connects faith with vocation, encouraging students to consider not only what work they will do, but also how they can serve others through that work.
For nursing students, this emphasis aligns naturally with the human side of healthcare. Nursing requires technical knowledge and clinical judgment, but it also calls for ethical care, communication, advocacy, and compassion. Concordia Texas’s mission provides a broader framework to ground those responsibilities in service.
Academic Excellence
Concordia Texas’s values include Life-long Learning, Trust, and Courage. These principles support an academic environment in which students are expected to think critically, learn continuously, and respond thoughtfully to complex situations.
Those habits are especially relevant in nursing education. Students must connect scientific knowledge with hands-on skills, communicate with patients and healthcare teams, and continue learning as they encounter new evidence, technologies, and patient needs.
Leadership and Community Impact
Concordia Texas has a legacy of preparing leaders who serve churches, communities, and professions with courage and compassion. Its mission similarly emphasizes courageous leadership and meaningful work.
For future nurses, leadership begins well before a formal management role. It appears in patient advocacy, clear communication, ethical decision-making, teamwork, or the willingness to speak up for safe care. By connecting education with service and leadership, Concordia Texas encourages students to consider the broader effect they can have within their workplaces and communities.
There are several steps to applying for nursing school. Discover how with this checklist.
How Concordia Texas’s Legacy Supports Future Nurses
A 100-year history does not determine an individual student’s experience, but it can show how an institution approaches change. Concordia Texas has expanded, relocated, and developed new academic pathways while maintaining a consistent mission.
The Concordia University Texas nursing experience brings those ideas into a practice-focused setting. The ABSN track features three main components:
- Online coursework in which students learn foundational nursing concepts.
- Skills and simulation labs at our high-tech nursing satellite campuses in Austin or Dallas, where students practice nursing techniques and receive feedback.
- Clinical rotations in Austin or Dallas regional hospitals and healthcare facilities, where future nurses practice caring for real patients in various specialties.
Throughout these components, students develop critical thinking, compassionate action, and leadership, as reflected in the university’s mission.
Support During the Accelerated BSN Track
Support begins during the admissions process. Admissions counselors help prospective students understand eligibility, prerequisite coursework, and the steps required to apply. Once students enroll, academic success coaches provide individualized advising, resources, and support.
Students should still expect substantial responsibility. Concordia Texas describes the ABSN track as a full-time commitment that requires organization, dedication, self-motivation, and a willingness to seek help. Support can provide direction and resources, but students must actively manage the pace and expectations of accelerated study.
Why Choose Concordia University Texas for Nursing School?
Prospective students should consider a nursing school’s institution, learning model, eligibility pathway, locations, and support. Concordia Texas brings these elements together within a university celebrating a century of education and service.
A Pathway Designed for Career Changers
The ABSN track is intended for students with previous non-nursing college experience. Applicants can enter with at least 60 non-nursing college credits or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, provided they meet the track’s eligibility and prerequisite requirements.
Qualified students may complete the professional nursing curriculum in as few as 16 months over four semesters, not including any necessary prerequisite courses. Because individual circumstances vary, prospective students should speak with an admissions counselor to discuss their prior credits, prerequisite plan, and eligibility.
If Concordia Texas’s mission and approach to nursing education align with your goals, request information to learn more about the ABSN track, eligibility requirements, and next steps.
Campus images courtesy of Concordia University Texas.