Rankings for Top 50 Bible Colleges 2016 Released

Christian Universities Online has just released their 2016 rankings of the top 50 Christian Bible Colleges. Topping the list is Emmaus Bible College, a private four-year institution in Dubuque, IA, followed by Columbia International University in South Carolina and Lincoln Christian University in Illinois.

All schools considered for the listing are fully accredited colleges or universities that emphasize Bible and/or ministry studies as their principal study focus. Most are members of either the Association for Biblical Higher Education, the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, or the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

The rankings were compiled using available public data in five equally-weighted categories: faculty-to-student ratio; the percent of full-time entering students receiving grant or scholarship aid; admission selectivity; overall retention rate; and graduation rates.

Emmaus Bible College stood out with 100% of its entering undergraduates receiving some kind of financial grant or scholarship aid. In a time when tuition and fees for private colleges average $31,231, that’s no small advantage.

“The school boasts high retention and graduation rates, 85% and 82%, respectively,” the list reads, “and a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1.”

The diversity of degree programs among the top-ranked schools is also exceptional. Emmaus offers “a wide variety of academic programs ranging from Bible and Theology to Business Administration, Counseling Psychology to Teacher Education,” as well as several distance-learning programs.

Meanwhile, the top areas of study at Columbia International University are Psychology, Teacher Education, Intercultural Studies, Business and Organizational Leadership, and Youth Ministry, Family and Culture. Lincoln Christian University offers degrees at the master’s and doctoral level as well as undergraduate.

The “Top 50 Bible Colleges” ranking also complements Christian Universities Online’s “50 Most Affordable Bible Colleges” listing. Notable on both lists is Bethesda University in Anaheim, CA, which came in at #5 for best overall and #3 in affordability at $8,383 average net price.