Christian Universities Online Publishes Ranking of Top 50 Mission Minded Christian Colleges and Universities for 2017
DURHAM, N.C., March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Leading Christian higher education resource, Christian Universities Online (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/), has published a ranking of the Top 50 Mission Minded Christian Colleges and Universities for 2017.
For this ranking, members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) or schools that could be considered member eligible were evaluated for degree programs in the fields of communications and journalism.
Christian Universities Online then collected publicly available data in the following three categories:
1) number of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in missions,
2) number of intern and service opportunities in missions
3) the degree to which the school’s website is mission-focused
Weights were assigned to each of these categories with the category of the number of degree programs having a slightly higher weight than the other categories.
Abilene Christian University of Abilene, Texas, claimed the top spot on the list. Biola University in La Mirada, California, and George Fox University of Newberg, Oregon, complete the top three.
Other schools making the list include (in alphabetical order):
- Anderson University – SC Anderson, South Carolina
- Asbury University – Wilmore, Kentucky
- Azusa Pacific University – Azusa, California
- Belhaven University – Jackson, Mississippi
- Bethel College-IN – Mishawaka, Indiana
- Bethel University – St. Paul, Minnesota
- Bob Jones University – Greenville, South Carolina
- Crown College – Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota
- Dallas Baptist University – Dallas, Texas
- Eastern University – Saint Davids, Pennsylvania
- Evangel University – Springfield, Missouri
- Fresno Pacific University – Fresno, California
- Grand Canyon University – Phoenix, Arizona
- Harding University – Searcy, Arkansas
- Houghton College – Houghton, New York
- Howard Payne University – Brownwood, Texas
- Huntington University – Huntington, Indiana
- Indiana Wesleyan University – Marion, Indiana
- Judson University – Elgin, Illinois
- LeTourneau University – Longview, Texas
- Liberty University – Lynchburg, Virginia
- Malone University – Canton, Ohio
- Messiah College – Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
- Montreat College – Montreat, North Carolina
- Mount Vernon Nazarene University – Mount Vernon, Ohio
- Northwest Christian University – Eugene, Oregon
- Northwest Nazarene University – Nampa, Idaho
- Northwest University – Kirkland, Washington
- Nyack College – Nyack, New York
- Oklahoma Baptist University – Shawnee, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Christian University – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Wesleyan University – Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Olivet Nazarene University – Bourbonnais, Illinois
- Oral Roberts University – Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Palm Beach Atlantic University – West Palm Beach, Florida
- Regent University – Virginia Beach, Virginia
- San Diego Christian College – Santee, California
- Seattle Pacific University – Seattle, Washington
- Southwest Baptist University – Bolivar, Missouri
- The Master’s University – Santa Clarita, California
- Toccoa Falls College – Toccoa, Georgia
- Trinity International University – Deerfield, Illinois
- Union University – Jackson, Tennessee
- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor – Belton, Texas
- University of Mobile – Prichard, Alabama
- Waynesburg University – Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
- Wheaton College – Wheaton, Illinois
Anna-Rebekah Orr, site editor, states that the goal of the ranking is to highlight schools that demonstrate a commitment to missions as an integral part of their institutional identity and academic programs. Orr goes on to say, “In light of the Great Commission, we believe that the value and relevance of training in missions continues on indefinitely. Christian institutions of higher education are tasked with preparing students for mission work now as much as ever. This ranking will be a useful guide for students who are interested in pursuing the long-term goal of becoming a missionary.”
Christian Universities Online (http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/) is an online resource for students and families researching Christian higher education. The site publishes rankings and reviews of the best Christian colleges and universities, information about Christian scholarships and financial aid, and many other resources for finding, getting into, and paying for a quality Christian education.
Contact:
Michael Templeton, editor
Christian Universities Online
