10 Benefits of Christian Higher Education

The realm of higher education is a highly competitive space, with Christian colleges serving as just one of many options for prospective students. For many people the possibility of pursuing a Christian education will immediately be dismissed, and yet the benefits of going to a Christian school are significant.

1. Faith-Integrated Curriculum

At Indiana Wesleyan University, our curriculum includes faith-integration within every class. One of the benefits of this is that it emphasizes the fact that God is involved in all aspects of our life and every field or area of study we might choose is one which He is connected to. This in turn allows students to consider the ways they can glorify God and serve their fellow man through their chosen degree path.

2. An Emphasis on Spiritual Formation

Spiritual formation is an essential aspect of any believer's life, and as such many Christian universities put intentional emphasis on it. At IWU's Marion campus, chapel is held every Monday and Friday, giving set times during which all students are able and welcome to join together to worship, in addition to special time set aside for small groups on Wednesdays. 

Additionally, a variety of other opportunities for spiritual formation are available throughout the week. While online students do not have the same opportunities, IWU still emphasizes spiritual formation in online classes.

3. Meaningful Opportunities for Leadership

Through various university partnerships and faculty connections, schools like IWU are able to offer a variety of potential internships or on-campus leadership opportunities for students. While this is often the case for both Christian and secular universities, the faculty connections available through smaller universities are often wider.

Furthermore, Christian universities allow for the unique additional element of these opportunities helping students to grow spiritually and academically. This creates good opportunities for character development and gives students first-hand experience in roles directly connected to their field of study and/or to leadership.

4. Unified Around the Christian Mission 

While Christian universities are not and should not be exclusively for Christians, having the majority of the university's faculty, staff, and students generally unified around the shared goal of following Jesus Christ does a lot to strengthen a school. 

More specific projects such as IWU's World Changers philosophy serve as practical and tangible versions of this. Through this unified mission, Christian universities are able to maintain a consistent level of shared motivation which creates the optimal environment for building students up both spiritually and intellectually.

5. Strong Community

Because many Christian schools are also private schools, they are naturally significantly smaller on average than most public institutions. While some might see this as a drawback, the effects this smaller nature has are largely positive. Due to their relatively small sizes, most Christian higher education institutions have more tightly-knit communities and classes, making for a more intentional and close community overall.

There are enough people that most students will find friends who will last for years to come, while also being a small enough number of people that even total strangers can effortlessly become acquaintances. While secular and public schools may offer a larger campus and student body, private Christian schools oftentimes offer richer community.

6. Spiritual and Academic Mentorship

At Christian schools, faculty and students build strong relationships, with students often experiencing mentorship from faculty who care about their educational and spiritual wellbeing. These faculty are able to serve as positive role models who can provide an example of what it means to be a Christian in their field. Due to smaller class sizes and majors, students not only get to connect with faculty in small classes, but also continue to build these relationships throughout their academic career as they have multiple classes with their division faculty.

Additionally, faculty also serve as academic advisors and sometimes run small groups or sponsor student organizations, allowing for additional points of connection. At IWU, it is common for students and faculty to stay connected even years after graduation.

7. A Variety of Scholarship Opportunities

Although Christian schools sometimes have higher costs, they also oftentimes have far more scholarship opportunities to help students. At IWU, the average student graduates with $4,000 less debt than the national average, with the university hoping to continue to decrease the amount over time with the creation of new scholarships. In fact, at IWU, almost every student gets at least some financial aid.

8. Increasing Diversity

In recent years, Christian higher education institutions have become increasingly diverse in nature. At IWU, scholarship opportunities allow students of all economic backgrounds to attend; an open, faith-based community welcomes all discussions of faith; and intentional efforts to create a thriving multicultural identity have received ever-increasing support from faculty, staff, and students. There is still room for significant growth and Christian institutions such as IWU are excited for what the future holds.

9. Dedication to the Best Education Possible

While all colleges are dedicated to providing quality education, Christian institutions lack the same name recognition which comes with many other schools, and as such are naturally forced to be more competitive. For this reason, private Christian schools often have high but attainable standards for both their faculty and students, ensuring students are able to grow academically and not simply exist within their chosen field after graduation, but fully thrive.

At IWU, we strive to remain as up to date as possible in shifting career landscapes, and are committed to maintaining high standards so that our graduates can be given the best preparation we can offer for a successful career.

10. Part of the Wider Legacy of the Church

While education at a Christian college is not just for believers, individuals of faith who do pursue a Christian education are not simply part of the legacy of their school—they are participating in the wider legacy of the Church. Having originally been started by the Church, most Christian institutions have a direct link to its history, with their own thriving faith community being a direct result of decades of history. Although rarely done, being able to trace the history of the Church's involvement throughout the lifetime of an institution back to its original founding can have great value.

Interested in pursuing a Christian education? Apply to Indiana Wesleyan University today: indwes.edu/contact/apply