5 Great (and 5 Terrible) Reasons to Attend a Christian College

While they might not admit it, lots of people choose a Christian college for this reason. It’s probably mixed in with great stats about the school’s academics and other admirable details, but it’s really the top priority. And it’s true – the odds are more likely you’ll find a Christian spouse on a campus full of Christians. But since when does God provide based on the odds?

If finding a Christian spouse is a key factor for you in choosing a college, consider why you’re basing this decision on it.  Do you really trust God to provide all that you need to fulfill his good purpose for your life? It might be less likely, but it’s just as possible to find Christian friends and a Christian spouse outside a Christian college.

Consider also how you view marriage. If you graduate without a promise, engagement, or wedding ring, does that mean God had been unkind to you? Or would you still trust that he is good?

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This motive sounds better than the first, but it’s still important to examine your heart. Do you believe a public college is not a great place to learn how to do ministry?

If you do not believe you can effectively prepare to minister to hurting people who don’t know God by attending college among hurting people who don’t know God, examine your heart for pride. Pride will convince you that what the Christian school will teach you is obviously better than anything those pagans can offer. This expression of pride also puts an imaginary limit on how God can best work in your life.

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This is another one that’s statistically true. If you compare crime stats on college campuses using this tool from U.S. Dept. of Education (ope.ed.gov), usually you’ll find fewer reported crimes on private Christian college campuses than on public ones. But if this is a top reason you’re choosing to attend a Christian college, ask yourself if this decision is rooted in fear rather than in trusting God. 

Paul testifies to God’s goodness and power, even when he is in prison (again) and facing death soon. His surroundings are what most would call unsafe. But he knew this:

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18)

Safety on your perspective college campus matters. And any lack of it on any college campus is a concerning problem. But Christians have access to peace that passes all understanding. We do not need to be afraid like the world is. Are we ever guaranteed safety, even in seemingly safe situations? Are you overly concerned with physical safety that you’re willing to say “no” to God if he calls you into an unsafe situation like Paul?

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For some, choosing a college was only ever about which Christian college to attend. Maybe you spent your whole educational career in Christian school or homeschool, and the thought never crossed your mind to switch gears all the sudden and attend a secular college.

If this reason resonates with you, it might be a good time to as the Holy Spirit to convict you of any underlying fear or pride. Would you remove all parameters and ask God, with open hands, about where (or if) he wants you to pursue a college education? Would you decide to obediently follow God, even if he leads you to somewhere you’ve never been?

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Maybe the idea of looking to God in the midst of a big decision is a completely new idea because for years, you’ve just looked to your parents, older sibling, or best friend. Is it possible that God could be calling you somewhere different than what your friends or family expected?

Maybe attending a secular school means you’re on your own financially. When the financial consequences are steep, you have to pray hard and be open to making a costly decision. Seek God’s face and ask for strength to follow whatever it is he calls you to do: either to thrive in a school you didn’t choose or to trust him to provide as you head towards a different school. Rely on God’s wisdom and strength “for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

Wherever God leads you to go, there will be hard times and possibly suffering. That’s just life. But “praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

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If you’re considering college, a Christian college is an excellent and exciting option. But when making major decisions like this, Christians should examine the heart-level motives behind choices. Are you choosing a Christian school from a heart of fear or pride? Or are you making the decision because it’s how God is leading you?

1. “I’m going to a Christian college because I’m confident that’s what God wants next for me, and my trusted Christian community supports my decision.”

Wow, good for you! If your heart is at peace that God is leading you to a Christian college, go for it. Keep trusting him because things will get confusing and hard. And keep fighting for humility because pride will tempt you. 

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Attending a Christian college is a unique opportunity to live and learn among (mostly) other believers. While no one is guaranteed a roommate “after God’s own heart,” going to a Christian college can be a special time to experience Christian community.

If your heart is at peace in this decision, start praying for your relationships with roommates, hall-mates, leaders, and teachers. Pray for God to show you how he wants you to get involved in serving the community on campus and around it, even if it’s something new that you never considered before. Usually, there is no shortage of ministry opportunity and community involvement at a Christian college. Build your ministry muscles here and develop a habit of service and engagement for life after college.

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This is a great reason because it’s something distinct that a Christian college offers. Maybe you’re a new Christian or you’ve never studied the Bible in a classroom setting, and God is drawing your heart to a Christian college where you can learn more about faith to grow stronger roots and have spiritual conversations. A Christian college certainly isn’t the only place where these things can happen, but it is a distinct place to openly and seriously study faith under Christian teachers.

Whether you’re planning on studying history, marketing, psychology, accounting, or whatever; at a Christian college, you’ll be able to learn it with a gospel perspective.

If this is how God is leading you, pray for renewed wonder at his heart and the gospel because there will likely come a day when you just get bored with it. Ask God for you to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

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This might sound similar to the second terrible reason above. True – it’s almost the same. The difference is the condition of your heart. That’s the point of this article: Are you making your decision from a heart that is trusting God? Or are you deciding with a heart that is fearful and prideful?

This is a great reason to attend a Christian college because maybe you want to become more familiar with theological basics and ministry best practices before moving on to earn a seminary degree. Or maybe you don’t plan on attending seminary at all because you want to work in ministry, but not at a level that requires an advanced degree. 

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Maybe it’s lame and self-centered, but this was mostly what I was thinking while deciding to attend a Christian college. God gave me peace about it, and he was sovereign even over my 18-year-old self making an un-meticulous decision.

Even if we have 25 great reasons to attend a Christian college, there’s so much about the future that we cannot know. But God knows and will establish our steps. Trust in him with your whole heart and follow where he leads you – Christian college or not.

P.S. Chris Russell guides readers to ask themselves helpful questions in his article, “How to make Right Decisions.” He poses these, among other, questions: How will this affect me spiritually? Is this consistent with the way God has wired me? Am I paying attention to the risks that are associated with this? Do I have total peace from God about this?

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