Christian Universities Online Publishes Ranking of 25 Best Christian Colleges and Universities in the West
DURHAM, N.C., March 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ As the next chapter in a series, Christian Universities Online presented the Top 25 Christian Colleges and Universities in the West for 2017. Not merely a subset of the national top 50; this ranking only narrows the geographic criteria and starts from square one with the evaluation criteria.
A leading Christian higher education resource, CUO offers these rankings not because any one area is superior to another, but that while not necessarily a top consideration in the decision, geography can often play a part in school selection. There are certainly some familiar names on this list; some new schools are showcased as well. It is our hope that those who may need to limit their school selection based on geography will be well-served by this ranking.
The methodology behind this ranking was to give consideration to schools in the Western region of the US that are members or member eligible of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Christian Universities Online then collected publicly available data for these schools in the following categories:
- faculty-to-student ratio;
- percent of full-time beginning undergraduates receiving grant or scholarship aid;
- selectivity;
- overall retention rate; and
- overall graduation rate. Each category received equal weight in calculating the final ranking.
Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, claimed the top spot on the list. Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, and Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, complete the top three.
Other schools making the list include (in alphabetical order):
Abilene Christian University – Abilene, Texas
Biola University – La Mirada, California
Concordia University Irvine – Irvine, California
Corban University – Salem, Oregon
Dallas Baptist University – Dallas, Texas
Fresno Pacific University – Fresno, California
George Fox University – Newberg, Oregon
Hardin-Simmons University – Abilene, Texas
Hope International University – Fullerton, California
LeTourneau University – Longview, Texas
Northwest Christian University – Eugene, Oregon
Northwest University – Kirkland, Washington
Oklahoma Baptist University – Shawnee, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Christian University – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oral Roberts University – Tulsa, Oklahoma
Point Loma Nazarene University – San Diego, California
Seattle Pacific University – Seattle, Washington
Simpson University – Redding, California
The Master’s University – Santa Clarita, California
Vanguard University of Southern California – Costa Mesa, California
Warner Pacific College – Portland, Oregon
William Jessup University – Rocklin, California
Anna-Rebekah Orr, editor for the ranking, states that the goal of the ranking is to highlight schools that excel in their educational offerings within specific areas of this great and diverse country, not because any one area is superior to another, but, that while not necessarily a top consideration in the decision, geography can often play a part in school selection.
Orr goes on to say, “When Christian Universities Online creates a region-specific ranking, we do not merely regurgitate our national top fifty. Rather, we make a fresh start with a targeted list of schools and apply our evaluation criteria anew to this unique group.”
Orr notes that there are certainly some familiar names on this list, but new schools are showcased as well. Students have a myriad of criteria to use in their selection process, and geography may be inadvertently overlooked, but there are several ramifications related to distance and location that prudent students and their families should bear in mind. Christian Universities Online hopes that its regional rankings will be of service to all prospective students, particularly those who are searching for schools with specific geographical areas in mind.
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.
MEDIA CONTACT | Michael Templeton, editor of Christian Universities Online | (919) 858-6153 |148768@email4pr.com
