Who Enrolls the Most Students? The Top 5 Christian Universities

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By now you’ve probably heard about the impending “demographic cliff” that is expected to impact colleges and universities as early as next year.¹ This as many institutions are already experiencing shrinking enrollment.²

Yet despite the challenges in the present landscape, many Christian schools are thriving. In fact, nearly 350,000 US undergraduates are currently studying at a Christian institution, representing about 2 percent of all students enrolled.³

In this article, we’ll look at five of the top Christian schools by US enrollment, including a snapshot of some key institutional characteristics.

A brief comment on methodology

But first, it’s important to clarify what I mean by “Christian institution.” For the purposes of this article, a Christian institution is any school affiliated with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), or the International Alliance for Christian Education (IACE). All of these organizations espouse an unapologetically Christ-centered educational philosophy for their members.

In contrast, many schools have a “religious affiliation” (a technical phrase used by the federal government) but not a clear Christian identity. These institutions may have a historical connection to a Christian tradition but are not distinctly Christian in their educational mission. These are excluded from my analysis.

Second, I’ve purposely limited the stats provided to ease readability. More detailed information about each institution can be found on its respective website or the free online CAFF College Guide.⁴

Finally, this analysis is limited to undergraduate enrollment numbers. Although many universities also have graduate programs, those figures are not included in the information provided below.

Top 5 Christian universities by enrollment

Here are the top five Christian universities based on undergraduate enrollment in the US.

1. Liberty University

Location: Lynchburg, VA
Founded: 1971
Affiliation: Baptist
Fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment: 52,823
Enrollment change since 2018: +15%
% of undergraduates age 25 and over: 45%
% of undergraduates studying fully online: 74%
Graduation rate: 66%

Liberty provides Logos to its students through a Logos for Education partnership.

Liberty is perhaps best known for its online offerings, but the school also fosters a vibrant environment for its nearly 10,000 on-campus undergraduate students.

Twice-a-week convocation (chapel) services often feature nationally known speakers, and there are more than twenty Division I athletic teams to cheer for.

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2. Baylor University

Location: Waco, TX
Founded: 1845
Affiliation: Baptist
Fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment: 15,155
Enrollment change since 2018: +6.8%
% of undergraduates age 25 and over: 2%
% of undergraduates studying fully online: 2%
Graduation rate: 80%

Baylor is the only Christian school to be recognized as a top-tier research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Outside the classroom, students receive spiritual support through required chapel experiences and a variety of campus ministries. Baylor is also well-known for its athletics program, with the men’s and women’s basketball teams each having won a national championship within the past decade.

3. Southeastern University

Location: Lakeland, FL
Founded: 1935
Affiliation: Assemblies of God
Fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment: 9,167
Enrollment change since 2018: +19%
% of undergraduates age 25 and over: 8%
% of undergraduates studying fully online: 31%
Graduation rate: 49%

Southeastern provides Logos to its students through a Logos for Education partnership.

Southeastern is among the top 1% of fastest-growing private universities in the country, a surge fueled largely by new academic programs and expanded degree-completion options.

Spiritual growth is supported through multiple weekly chapel service options, a student worship movement (SEU Worship), and annual student-led mission trips.

4. California Baptist University

Location: Riverside, CA
Founded: 1950
Affiliation: Baptist
Fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment: 8,110
Enrollment change since 2018: +3.2%
% of undergraduates age 25 and over: 19%
% of undergraduates studying fully online: 20%
Graduation rate: 60%

California Baptist provides Logos to its students through a Logos for Education partnership.

California Baptist is one of the largest private universities in the state of California. It also has the distinction of graduating the highest number of Hispanic students among all Christian institutions.

On-campus students’ spiritual lives are supported through weekly chapel services, Bible study communities, and weekly discipleship celebrations.

5. Campbellsville University

Location: Campbellsville, KY
Founded: 1906
Affiliation: Baptist
Fall 2023 undergraduate enrollment: 6,853
Enrollment change since 2018: +70.5%
% of undergraduates age 25 and over: not reported
% of undergraduates studying fully online: 7%
Graduation rate: 46%

Campbellsville provides Logos to its students through a Logos for Education partnership.

Campbellsville is currently the fastest-growing university on the list and recently reported generating nearly $300 million in economic impact for its local Kentucky economy. Although the school does offer more than thirty online degrees, nearly 90 percent of its undergraduate students are taking courses only on campus—which is the highest percentage of any school on this top-five list.

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