Comparison of Christian Colleges reveals a wide range of options.
A Christian college is an institution of higher learning at baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels whose main focus is on the full spectrum of liberal arts, not solely Biblical training, according to the Christian College Consortium. If you want to study in an environment which allows you to integrate your Christian faith with high quality academics among like-minded students, you can select from over 100 schools offering a wide range of academic and spiritual distinctions.
Community Standards
If you prefer a campus with certain standards of conduct, check your prospective Christian college for its "Statement of Community Standards" or a similar document concerning their institutional code of conduct. For example, Wheaton College's Community Covenant says, "The Bible requires moderation in the use of alcohol, not abstinence...coupled with the biblical warnings against its dangers, this also suggests...Christians avoid it as a matter of conscience." Some schools expressly forbid alcohol on or off campus. Wheaton students are also expected to agree to "...uphold chastity among the unmarried and the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman." If such standards are consistent with your conscience you will find a community where they are upheld to be uplifting, not restrictive.
Service
Select a Christian college with your service goals in mind. Many colleges nurture their students' desire to serve in ministry or missions. For instance, the Houghton College Chamberlain Missions Lecture Series has promoted global engagement in church missions every year since 1990. Students of the Class of 2013, for example, carried out mission trips to 31 countries and 12 US states in their freshman and sophomore years alone. It is expected that students integrate these activities with their post-college careers, not necessarily as full-time missionaries or ministers. Consider the intensity of such programs, which varies among schools, in relation to how much involvement best suits your goals.
Academics
Both the Christian College Consortium and the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities promote full academic accreditation of their member institutions. Typical admissions policies require combined verbal and math SAT scores from 1200 to 1400 and higher, as seen by direct comparison on Student Advisor.com, where you can compare up to any five Christian colleges of your choice side-by-side. Many Christian colleges maintain student to professor ratios as low as 1 to 10 with a high percentage of full-time, doctorate level faculty. Student Review's uncensored student comments consistently rate student academic satisfaction in the B+ to A range for a high percentage of Christian colleges.
Cost
The cost of a Christian college education, like all colleges, continues to increase. An annual cost, as of 2011, at Taylor University in Indiana, for instance, is in the range of $24,000 to $25,000, which is fairly representative. Since all Christian colleges are private, in-state and out-of-state costs are usually the same. Standard student aid is usually available, but many denominations and churches offer additional aid not typically available to secular college applicants.
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