# Best Christian Colleges and Universities



## TylerRay (Nov 1, 2017)

What are the best Christian colleges and universities out there? 

By _best_, I mean, first, that they are consistent with their Christian profession; and, second, that they have high academic standards.


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## Doulos McKenzie (Nov 1, 2017)

I think Geneva College and Boyce College should be on the list.


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## greenbaggins (Nov 1, 2017)

Patrick Henry, Wheaton (not as strongly Christian as it used to be), Hillsdale, Grove City, and Reformation Bible College come to mind.


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## iainduguid (Nov 1, 2017)

greenbaggins said:


> Patrick Henry, Wheaton (not as strongly Christian as it used to be), Hillsdale, Grove City, and Reformation Bible College come to mind.


In my view, Grove City should be at the top of anyone's list

Reactions: Like 2


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## greenbaggins (Nov 1, 2017)

iainduguid said:


> In my view, Grove City should be at the top of anyone's list



You wouldn't happen to be biased in this matter would you, ex-Professor at Grove City College?

Reactions: Like 2


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## iainduguid (Nov 1, 2017)

greenbaggins said:


> You wouldn't happen to be biased in this matter would you, ex-Professor at Grove City College?


Let's just say I think I have personal knowledge from which I speak...


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## Edward (Nov 1, 2017)

greenbaggins said:


> Patrick Henry, Wheaton (not as strongly Christian as it used to be), Hillsdale, Grove City, and Reformation Bible College come to mind.



I'm not sure that Wheaton belongs on the list these days. While they did fire the prof advocating for Islam, they were really weak on BLM issue. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago it would have been an option.

Reactions: Amen 1


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## greenbaggins (Nov 1, 2017)

Edward, that's why I gave the caveat. It is still a very rigorous school, and their current president, Phil Ryken is a sound man, not to mention one of the finest expository preachers alive today.


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## BG (Nov 2, 2017)

greenbaggins said:


> Edward, that's why I gave the caveat. It is still a very rigorous school, and their current president, Phil Ryken is a sound man, not to mention one of the finest expository preachers alive today.



Where can I find these sermons


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## greenbaggins (Nov 2, 2017)

There might be some on Tenth Presbyterian Church’s website still, though he hasn’t been there for a while. Most of his sermons have been published in book form as expository commentaries. He has such volumes on Exodus, 1 Kings, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Luke, Galatians and 1 Timothy.


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## Edward (Nov 2, 2017)

BG said:


> Where can I find these sermons



This should get you started:
https://www.tenth.org/resource-library/sermons/by-author/phil-ryken


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## ZackF (Nov 4, 2017)

greenbaggins said:


> Edward, that's why I gave the caveat. It is still a very rigorous school, and their current president, Phil Ryken is a sound man, not to mention one of the finest expository preachers alive today.



Yeah they hired him after the barn door had been left open for quite a while. Whether he can fix the farm now remains to be seen.


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## Hamalas (Nov 4, 2017)

Patrick Henry, Grove City, and Hillsdale are probably the top three in my book. New College Franklin and Reformation Bible college are good options if accreditation isn't a big deal to you.


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## calvin1517 (Nov 5, 2017)

I would recommend the college I am currently attending, "Providence Christian College," in Pasadena, CA. The upper division biblical/theological classes are very rigorous. I have heard that both RBC and Covenant College are also very good.


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## arapahoepark (Nov 5, 2017)

I have heard good things of Simpson University in Redding.


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## Gforce9 (Nov 6, 2017)

ZackF said:


> Yeah they hired him after the barn door had been left open for quite a while. Whether he can fix the farm now remains to be seen.



This is correct. If, for whatever reason, the ship can't be righted, I will not think less of Dr. Ryken....he is a good man. I know for certain, the SJW movement is strong at Wheaton, to which my attending niece is part of...it is sad. I wish this young generation of Christians had a Machen to confront them with their idolatry of another gospel.........


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## augustacarguy (Nov 6, 2017)

It’s not Reformed, but I serve Columbia International on their BOT. Used to be Columbia Bible College. It’s a good school that is growing. 


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## BG (Nov 7, 2017)

There is a small Christian college in my area that is currently under attack and in need of prayer. Unfortunately the attack is coming from a so-called reformed church in the area who hates the school’s position on creation and inerrancy.


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## Anglicanorthodoxy (Nov 9, 2017)

Do Catholic colleges count? I know Catholics aren't generally seen as Christians, but the college I'm attending (Christendom College ) is excellent academically. It's very, VERY conservative. Kinda like what the old Jesuit schools used to be. I'm getting an excellent classical education. Very Thomistic in its approach to everything. I'm the only Protestant at the school( mostly Trad Catholic homeschooled kids) You'll have to take Catholic theology courses, but if you can stomach that it shouldn't be a problem.( I attended Catholic high school, so I don't have an issue sitting through Catholic theology courses) I wouldn't recommend it to most Protestants, but if you have a good understanding of where the differences are, you should be fine. Thomas Aquinas College is also good.

I looked at Patrick Henry, but it seems more like a political boot camp than a place for serious scholarship. Grove City is good, but not realy classical in its approach. I wish there were a serious Protestant college that was truly classical( Harvard and Oxford used to be) but none exist right now. That's why I'm at Christendom.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Hamalas (Nov 9, 2017)

I attended Patrick Henry and I can assure you that it is a place for serious scholarship and rigorous academic training. The powers that be (i.e. the donors who fund the school and the people who do the marketing) tend to tout the political slant more than they should which gives off that PAC vibe. In reality, however, I would say it's very solid.


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## kodos (Nov 10, 2017)

Haven't gone to Geneva, nor have I sent my kids to Geneva, but I hear some good things about it. It is under the oversight of the Synod of the RPCNA which means that the church watches over it. For instance, on their "History and Heritage" page, they claim this is what they believe:

Geneva College was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) [...]

*Reformed Faith Commitments*

Jesus Christ: The only begotten Son of God, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. He, who is the only Redeemer of God's elect, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continues to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
Scripture: The Bible is the only infallible rule for faith and life
Divine Sovereignty: All of life unfolds according to God’s eternal counsel and will
The Covenants: God reveals progressively through the Old and New Testaments His promise and plan to redeem humanity and creation itself through Jesus the Christ
The Law of God: God’s moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, restrains societal evil, demonstrates everyone’s need for salvation in Jesus Christ and guides Christians in their growth in grace
The Church: The church is the redeemed people of God in the Old Testament and New Testament eras of history
The Kingdom of God: Jesus Christ reigns as the mediatorial King over all nations and peoples; He is Lord in every aspect of life


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## Jack K (Nov 10, 2017)

Asking for the best college is a bit like asking what's the best car. It begs the question, "What are you looking for in a car/college?" Much will depend on how the individual answers that question.

My son is a high school senior, so we have been college shopping together. My favorite of those we visited was Grove City. It felt like there was true faith and strong Christian community there, a commitment to studies that still allowed for fun on campus, and a good selection of worthy church options within walking distance. The place oozed kindness and felt like a great Christian family. I also liked Covenant. And my son liked Point Loma, which, although Nazarene, has a beautiful campus and had the church he liked best (we made a point of staying over a weekend and attending a nearby church on each college visit).

In the end, my son picked Colorado Christian University in Denver. The only thing he likes best about it is its location, much closer to home than the others and in a city he knows. Yet it seems to me a good choice for many other reasons as well: we sensed Christian community, it is Reformed-friendly enough (the current President came over from RTS), and it has probably just the right amount of scholarliness for my boy. He feels comfortable there and excited about going. That's worth much!


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## Anglicanorthodoxy (Nov 10, 2017)

Hamalas said:


> I attended Patrick Henry and I can assure you that it is a place for serious scholarship and rigorous academic training. The powers that be (i.e. the donors who fund the school and the people who do the marketing) tend to tout the political slant more than they should which gives off that PAC vibe. In reality, however, I would say it's very solid.


I think our definitions of what makes a college a place for serious scholarship are probably different. PHC isn't realy classical in their approach (even though they claim to be) As a Classicist, a college needs to have a solid Classics program for me to consider it a place of serious scholarship. 75% of PHC students major in Government, and their Classics program looks very weak when compared to Christendoms.


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## Hamalas (Nov 11, 2017)

Anglicanorthodoxy said:


> I think our definitions of what makes a college a place for serious scholarship are probably different. PHC isn't realy classical in their approach (even though they claim to be) As a Classicist, a college needs to have a solid Classics program for me to consider it a place of serious scholarship. 75% of PHC students major in Government, and their Classics program looks very weak when compared to Christendoms.



I didn't say that PHC had the best Classics program, but they are consistently Christian and rigorous academically which is what the OP was asking about. No doubt Christendom has a more thorough classics major and if that's what someone is after it may be the better choice. I still maintain that PHC should be on anyone's shortlist of colleges to consider.


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## Anglicanorthodoxy (Nov 11, 2017)

Hamalas said:


> I didn't say that PHC had the best Classics program, but they are consistently Christian and rigorous academically which is what the OP was asking about. No doubt Christendom has a more thorough classics major and if that's what someone is after it may be the better choice. I still maintain that PHC should be on anyone's shortlist of colleges to consider.


Sure it should. I just tend to be a bit of a snob as far as education goes. In my view, an education in the Classics is the only real education!


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## Haeralis (Nov 25, 2017)

I greatly benefited from my studies at Regent University in Virginia Beach. This school would be, I think, unfairly scrutinized in Reformed circles due to its founder being the charismatic evangelical Pat Robertson.

As someone who majored in government and history, I did not study theology at the school, but an atmosphere of committed Christianity pervades the campus and I had the enormous pleasure of studying under very high quality Calvinist professors.

There are a myriad of theological traditions at the university, but it is broadly conservative and believes in the value of a classical liberal arts education. I went to the college as a very superficial Christian, and due to my edification at Regent, I became far more interested in theology than ever before and was able to immerse myself in Church history.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Scott Bushey (Nov 26, 2017)

Any feedback on Gordon College in Massachusetts? My friend’s daughter has chosen this school.


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