Most students considering Christian colleges do so in order to integrate their faith with their education. Christian schools offer that opportunity and more. Check out these 12 facts about Christian colleges that may not be on your radar.

1.       Christian colleges are growing and growing and growing.

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member schools have grown more than 70 percent since 1990. By comparison, enrollment in all private, four-year colleges and universities grew just 28 percent between 1990 and 2004.

2.       Diversity thrives at Christian colleges.

Slowly but surely, Christian schools are becoming more diverse. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reports that the number of CCCU colleges where black enrollments are at 10 percent or higher more than tripled in the last 10 years.
 

3.       Christian schools are a good place to go green.

Almost half of CCCU colleges have adopted significant green initiatives such as multimillion-dollar sustainable "villages" and student volunteer educational programs. At Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego, CA), for instance, the student body recently voted to increase student fees to further campus sustainability.

4.       You will be sober.

At Christian schools, students and staff must adhere to a code of conduct that falls in line with biblical teaching. As the Princeton Review puts it, these schools are "stone-cold sober" -- and  students wouldn't have it any other way.

 
5.       Christian college students receive valuable vocational training.

Through the international organization SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise), students have the opportunity to serve their community while learning business skills that are directly applicable to their chosen vocation. Currently, 49 of the 110 CCCU colleges have active SIFE chapters, several of which have earned top honors in recent SIFE competitions.

6.       Christian colleges are forerunners of technological innovation.

This year at Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX), every freshman received an iPhone or iPod touch to aid their academic success. And at Oklahoma Christian University (Oklahoma City, OK), freshmen who attended a new student orientation received a MacBook as well as an iPhone or iPod touch.

7.       Off-campus opportunities abound.

Students at Christian colleges can take advantage of 12 culture-crossing and culture-shaping off-campus study programs offered by the CCCU. BestSemester programs include U.S. programs in American studies, music, film, and journalism, as well as programs overseas in Australia, China, the Middle East, Uganda, Russia, Latin America, and England.

8.       Warm professors are the norm.

Christian college professors are famous for their willingness to mentor students through their critical college years. The relationship is particularly effective as a result of a shared faith and worldview.

9.       Christian colleges aren't just for teens.

More than half of CCCU colleges have programs catering to adult learning, including programs on satellite campuses, degree completion programs, and online education.

10.   Students benefit from global partnerships at Christian colleges.

At Christian schools, students acquire the skills necessary to engage and succeed in an increasingly globalized world. At Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA), for example, students can take part in a South Africa Semester, a Global Learning Term, an American International Mentoring Program, and more.
 

11.    "Christian" does not necessarily mean "politically conservative."

According to "Spirituality in Higher Education," a national study from the Higher Education Research Institute, highly spiritual and highly religious students do assume relatively liberal perspectives on issues such as affirmative action, the death penalty, and more.

 
12.   Christian colleges offer unique learning opportunities.

Where else can you attend lectures, conferences, and symposiums on such topics as "Mathematics and Faith," "Literacy and Biblical Knowledge," and "The Kingdom of Heaven in American Law"?

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