Community Information

OLATHE: The City MidAmerica Calls Home

MidAmerica Nazarene University is located in Olathe, Kansas, a residential community of 114,000 people (including nearly 2,500 MNU alumni!), just 20 minutes from the heart of Kansas City with all of the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area. Olathe is the second largest among the 21 communities in prosperous Johnson County, and the fifth largest city in the state.

Olathe (pronounced Oh-LAY'-tha) is a Shawnee word meaning "beautiful." This truly beautiful city offers a lifestyle of exceptional quality. A drive through Olathe's attractive gently-rolling neighborhoods shows a well-planned, pleasing community. Olathe's Fire and Police Departments are among the finest in the state. The city's school system is one of the best in the nation.

Outdoor recreation offers a variety of activities, including running, jogging, bicycling, fishing, boating, team sports and just relaxing. The Olathe area is popular for hot-air ballooning and sailboarding. Olathe has two public lakes: Olathe Lake with 172 acres of water surface, and Cedar Lake with 45 acres.

The city's Recreation Division maintains year-round activities including music and dance, sports, health and fitness programs for all ages. Baseball diamonds, tennis courts and fitness trails are available throughout the city.

Olathe's quality of life and its attractiveness as a place to live have an ever-increasing number of people looking toward Olathe as a place to call home. Visit the Olathe Chamber of Commerce website for more information.
 

Economic Impact of MidAmerica Nazarene University on the Community

• In 1966, ten generous citizens of the Olathe community purchased and donated 100 acres of land to be used for the construction of MidAmerica Nazarene University, which complements the community with its stately colonial design.

• MidAmerica's operational income has increased from $747,998 in 1968 to $28,488,544 in 2003-04.

• The yearly economic impact of the college is approximately $50 million, not including expenditures by students and campus visitors, and the large fiscal resources represented by MNU’s $16 million endowment.

• 1,985 students frequent local restaurants and retail stores.

• MidAmerica employs 378 faculty and staff members. The annual payroll of employees for 2003-04 was $14 million, including benefits, and 66 percent of all MNU employees live in Olathe.

• MidAmerica's plant assets totaled $35,000,000 in 2002.

• There are 2,486 MNU alumni living in Olathe with average increased annual earnings of $15,000 each resulting from the undergraduate education they received.