Most conservative colleges in America
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Most conservative colleges in America
In some conservative circles, there is a belief that the definition of inclusion on college campuses has evolved to exclude them. And some would argue that any exclusion runs counter to the notion that colleges are where divergent views should be embraced and discussed.
“Right-wing political ideologies should have a place in colleges to allow for choice and debate amongst young individuals,” wrote Jeremy Los in a 2011 article for Mic. “College campuses are a place for differing opinions and debate, and they encourage students to broaden their horizons. This is not a matter of what ideology is right or wrong, but rather what is best for the young people on campuses.”
For some students, the way to avoid a sense of ideological dismissal is to choose to attend a conservative college. Typically religiously affiliated, conservative schools distinguish themselves through a codified sense of religious identity, strong conservative ideologies, or deep-rooted connections to conservative politicians and organizations. Some schools inherit the conservative vibe from their communities, while others are conservative on their own. Some are inherently conservative because of their professional or business-friendly nature, while others are steeped in a deeply held history of conservatism.
Stacker examined the nation’s colleges and universities and compiled a list of the 50 most conservative colleges in the United States. For this list, we consulted the research website Niche, which ranked schools’ conservatism based on students’ own reviews of the schools’ campus communities. These reviews weigh the political leanings of the reviewer, if the reviewer attends or has attended the school, and the reviewer’s opinion of it. Details on Niche’s methodology explain the site’s rankings, and survey data are accurate as of 2022.
Read on to find out which colleges are the most conservative in the country.
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#50. Moody Bible Institute
– Location: Chicago, IL
– Students: 1,769 (student to faculty ratio: 20:1)
– Acceptance rate: 94% (ACT: 18-23; SAT: 990-1200)
– Net price per year: $16,247
– Graduation rate: 67%
– Six-year median earnings: data not available
Focused on the principles of Christian orthodoxy, Moody Bible Institute operates on a five-article Doctrinal Statement originally drafted in 1928, by which its mission is to “proclaim the Gospel through equipping people to be biblically grounded, practically trained, and to engage the world through Gospel-centered living.” The college holds that the Bible is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice, which is reflected in all of its course and degree offerings, including biblical studies and languages, applied linguistics, and a bachelor of arts in preaching.
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#49. Western New Mexico University
– Location: Silver City, NM
– Students: 1,102 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 100% (ACT: data not available; SAT: data not available)
– Net price per year: $11,909
– Graduation rate: 34%
– Six-year median earnings: $30,900
Founded in 1893, Western New Mexico University is an applied liberal arts and sciences university. Until 1920, it was known as the Normal School of New Mexico, its focus being on supplying “the grammar schools of the territory with competent and carefully trained teachers, devoted to their chosen profession and conscious of its splendid possibilities.” Thereafter followed three decades of the university being re-christened the New Mexico State Teachers’ College, before finally settling on its current moniker. To this day, degrees in education are a key part of the curriculum.
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#48. University of Findlay
– Location: Findlay, OH
– Students: 2,189 (student to faculty ratio: 16:1)
– Acceptance rate: 77% (ACT: 21-26; SAT: 1040-1260)
– Net price per year: $25,066
– Graduation rate: 65%
– Six-year median earnings: $43,200
The University of Findlay was founded in 1882 in a joint partnership between the Churches of God General Conference and the city of Findlay. This private university—whose motto, “Scientia Libertas et Religio,” or “Knowledge, Liberty, and Religion,” forms the basis of its mission to cultivate “academic excellence, transformative experiences and a supportive community that is grounded in Christian faith”—is known for its western equestrian training program, which won back-to-back American Quarter Horse Association national championships in 2018 and 2019.
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#47. University of Evansville
– Location: Evansville, IN
– Students: 1,822 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 71% (ACT: 23-30; SAT: 1090-1290)
– Net price per year: $21,978
– Graduation rate: 68%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,800
This private university was founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College and is today affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Through this affiliation, the University of Evansville focuses its curriculum on holistic (or “whole person”) education to spur “intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual growth,” which the school’s mission believes “cannot be isolated from one another but must be integrated if we are to achieve our full, God-given potential.” The university also has a satellite campus located in a 100-room Victorian manor in Grantham, England.
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#46. Southwestern Assemblies of God University
– Location: Waxahachie, TX
– Students: 1,392 (student to faculty ratio: 10:1)
– Acceptance rate: 88% (ACT: 17-22; SAT: 920-1100)
– Net price per year: $24,760
– Graduation rate: 45%
– Six-year median earnings: $35,700
The last Assemblies of God university remaining in Texas, Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private Christian university in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. The school offers degrees in liberal arts, Bible studies, and Assemblies of God ministries. The school’s mascot is Judah the Lion, a play on the “Lion of Judah,” a Jewish national symbol thought to symbolize the tribe of Judah.
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#45. Concordia University – Wisconsin
– Location: Mequon, WI
– Students: 2,318 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 64% (ACT: 21-26; SAT: 898-1156)
– Net price per year: $25,175
– Graduation rate: 64%
– Six-year median earnings: $42,800
The name Concordia is a reference to the Latin title of The Book of Concord, a collection of Lutheran confessions. The university is one of the eight-member Concordia University System, which forms a “Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.” Among the university’s notable alumni is U.S. Representative André D. Carson, who at the time of his election in 2008 was only the second Muslim ever elected to the national legislature.
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#44. University of Northwestern – St. Paul
– Location: Saint Paul, MN
– Students: 2,073 (student to faculty ratio: 17:1)
– Acceptance rate: 92% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1110-1330)
– Net price per year: $23,085
– Graduation rate: 68%
– Six-year median earnings: $38,500
Originally established as a bible and missionary training school in 1902, the University of Northwestern – St. Paul operates on a philosophy of unity through diversity by which “every person in the Northwestern community be accepted and valued regardless of gender, race, color, social status, ability/disability, age, ethnicity, or gifts.” This philosophy is backed by several on-campus groups, including those dedicated to Asian Student Fellowship, Latinx students, and Students of Disability Appreciation, and has a Black Student Union. Fun fact: Rev. Billy Graham served as the school’s president from 1947 to 1952.
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#43. Idaho State University
– Location: Pocatello, ID
– Students: 5,966 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 100% (ACT: data not available; SAT: data not available)
– Net price per year: $13,135
– Graduation rate: 36%
– Six-year median earnings: $35,700
“The truth will set you free,” a Bible quote from the Book of John, is this public research university’s motto. Idaho State University is known for its degree programs in the health professions, from dentistry to paramedic sciences to nursing and pharmacological studies. Though not directly affiliated with the Mormon church, prayer has been noted as a component part of certain courses. Among the lighter traditions of the school, it is considered good luck to high-five the paw of the Bronze Bengal that stands outside Quad Amphitheater.
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#42. University of Arkansas
– Location: Fayetteville, AR
– Students: 20,559 (student to faculty ratio: 18:1)
– Acceptance rate: 77% (ACT: 23-30; SAT: 1120-1300)
– Net price per year: $16,263
– Graduation rate: 66%
– Six-year median earnings: $44,900
This flagship school of the University of Arkansas System boasts the largest campus of the six affiliated colleges. The university is a land-grant institution, meaning that it is designated by the state of Arkansas to receive funding through the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Among the university’s traditions is Schola Cantorum, a choral ensemble that performs all around the world. Its perhaps most well-known former teachers are former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, both of whom taught law there and the latter of whom founded the university’s legal clinic.
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#41. Auburn University
– Location: Auburn, AL
– Students: 22,527 (student to faculty ratio: 20:1)
– Acceptance rate: 81% (ACT: 25-31; SAT: 1150-1320)
– Net price per year: $23,562
– Graduation rate: 79%
– Six-year median earnings: $48,800
Another land-grant research school, Auburn is the second-largest university in Alabama. Despite its size, the school has one of the lowest enrollments of Black students. As of 2021, only 5.3% of the student body was Black. A 2021 article in the New York Times by Auburn’s former student chairman of diversity posited that one cause of this limited enrollment was that tuition rose significantly in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis alongside commensurate declines in state funding. In 2017, amid mass protests, white nationalist Richard Spencer spoke at Auburn after filing a suit in federal court against the school’s refusal on First Amendment grounds.
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#40. Spring Arbor University
– Location: Spring Arbor, MI
– Students: 1,134 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 66% (ACT: 20-27; SAT: 980-1220)
– Net price per year: $20,427
– Graduation rate: 59%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,000
Spring Arbor University is a private Free Methodist university. The liberal arts school’s mission focuses on “total commitment to Jesus Christ as the perspective for learning, and critical participation in the contemporary world.” In late July 2014, the university was granted a religious exemption from Title IX requirements by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, freeing it from restrictions on discrimination based on gender, including transgender and gender non-conforming students, and sexual orientation.
Larry D. Moore, CC BY-SA 4.0 // Wikimedia Commons
#39. Wayland Baptist University
– Location: Plainview, TX
– Students: 869 (student to faculty ratio: 6:1)
– Acceptance rate: 97% (ACT: 16-22; SAT: 880-1060)
– Net price per year: $24,882
– Graduation rate: 23%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,300
Though based in Plainview, Texas, Wayland Baptist University has a total of 11 campuses spread over six states, many of which have multiple locations within a single campus, as well as extension campuses in American Samoa and Kenya. The school’s core educational values are aimed at combining environmental responsibility with “Christian distinctiveness and Baptist heritage.”
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#38. Southeastern University
– Location: Lakeland, FL
– Students: 4,974 (student to faculty ratio: 23:1)
– Acceptance rate: 48% (ACT: 19-24; SAT: 940-1180)
– Net price per year: $25,025
– Graduation rate: 45%
– Six-year median earnings: $34,800
A private Christian university, Southeastern University first started in Alabama as Southeastern Bible Institute before relocating to Florida. It is the largest Assemblies of God school currently in operation in the United States.
Brandonrush // Wikimedia Commons
#37. Ouachita Baptist University
– Location: Arkadelphia, AR
– Students: 1,506 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 61% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1060-1250)
– Net price per year: $19,962
– Graduation rate: 63%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,200
Arkansas Baptist State Convention-affiliated Baptist college Ouachita Baptist University requires unmarried students under the age of 22 to live on campus unless they have family in the area. Visits to rooms of students of the opposite sex are limited to specific hours, and national fraternities and sororities are not allowed on campus.
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#36. George Fox University
– Location: Newberg, OR
– Students: 2,428 (student to faculty ratio: 14:1)
– Acceptance rate: 82% (ACT: 19-27; SAT: 1030-1270)
– Net price per year: $30,827
– Graduation rate: 68%
– Six-year median earnings: $45,100
This private Christian university was founded as a school for Quakers in 1891. Formerly known simply as George Fox, the school merged with Western Evangelical Seminary in 1996 and changed its name to George Fox University (GFU). In 2021, a GFU student participated in a suit filed challenging the constitutionality of Title IX religious exemption for Christian universities.
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#35. University of North Georgia
– Location: Dahlonega, GA
– Students: 13,103 (student to faculty ratio: 18:1)
– Acceptance rate: 81% (ACT: 19-26; SAT: 990-1190)
– Net price per year: $10,730
– Graduation rate: 38%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,900
A public university in the University of Georgia system, the University of North Georgia is one of the six senior military colleges in the nation. Military tradition has it that “Reveille” is played every day at 7 a.m. on campus, during which all on campus are expected to face the flag, and “Retreat/To the Colors” is played each day at 5 p.m. when everyone engaged in outdoor activities must stop to salute the flag.
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#34. Evangel University
– Location: Springfield, MO
– Students: 1,539 (student to faculty ratio: 16:1)
– Acceptance rate: 97% (ACT: 19-25; SAT: 960-1200)
– Net price per year: $22,045
– Graduation rate: 56%
– Six-year median earnings: $35,800
The Assemblies of God-affiliated Evangel University is a private Christian university with a seminary on campus. It is the nation’s first Pentecostal school of arts and sciences.
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#33. Texas A&M University
– Location: College Station, TX
– Students: 47,667 (student to faculty ratio: 21:1)
– Acceptance rate: 58% (ACT: 26-31; SAT: 1160-1390)
– Net price per year: $19,237
– Graduation rate: 82%
– Six-year median earnings: $58,000
Known colloquially as Aggieland, Texas A&M boasts the largest enrollment of any university in the United States. The university’s main campus houses the headquarters of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, one of the biggest transportation research institutions in the world, with over 700 professional members across 38 countries. Like Evangel, Texas A&M has a tradition of Reveille—only here it is the school’s official mascot, a Shetland sheepdog known as Miss Rev.
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#32. LeTourneau University
– Location: Longview, TX
– Students: 1,347 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 45% (ACT: 22-29; SAT: 1090-1310)
– Net price per year: $24,609
– Graduation rate: 63%
– Six-year median earnings: $48,200
An interdenominational Christian school, LeTourneau University has distinguished itself by having both a commitment to scientific research and biblical scholarship, which works as a cohesive curriculum. The school requires from nine to 12 hours of theological studies. It is also one of the few religiously based schools to offer online courses.
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#31. Abilene Christian University
– Location: Abilene, TX
– Students: 3,352 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 61% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1020-1230)
– Net price per year: $27,883
– Graduation rate: 61%
– Six-year median earnings: $43,000
Founded in 1906 as Childers Classical Institute, this university did not become known as Abilene Christian until 1976. It has a long affiliation with the Churches of Christ, and currently bars employees from engaging in same-sex relationships, though the school did recognize a student LGBTQ+ organization in 2016.
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Lyumars // Wikimedia Commons
#30. Montana Technological University
– Location: Butte, MT
– Students: 1,369 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 91% (ACT: 21-26; SAT: 1080-1260)
– Net price per year: $13,547
– Graduation rate: 54%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,700
Founded as the Montana State School of Mines, Montana Tech was rated by Best Accredited Colleges as having one of the 10 best electrical engineering programs in the nation, as well as a top three mechanical engineering program. Among its notable alumni is Ryan Lance, CEO of ConocoPhillips, one of the largest energy companies in the world.
Susquehanna University // Wikimedia Commons
#29. Susquehanna University
– Location: Selinsgrove, PA
– Students: 2,199 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 72% (ACT: 23-28; SAT: 1020-1230)
– Net price per year: $27,079
– Graduation rate: 72%
– Six-year median earnings: $54,100
Founded in 1858 as the Missionary Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the school was renamed Susquehanna University in 1895. Each holiday season, the university puts on a Christmas Candlelight Service featuring traditional Christian readings, songs, and prayers.
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#28. University of Mississippi
– Location: University, MS
– Students: 15,902 (student to faculty ratio: 16:1)
– Acceptance rate: 88% (ACT: 21-29; SAT: 1020-1250)
– Net price per year: $14,672
– Graduation rate: 66%
– Six-year median earnings: $42,700
Located in Oxford, “Ole Miss” is Mississippi’s largest university. A part of the university is its struggle with its Confederate history. Since 1997, the university has been engaged in rebranding its image, including removing the Confederate flag and use of the mascot “Colonel Reb” from its stadium and banning the playing of “Dixie” by its marching band. Still, race remains a divisive issue on the campus.
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#27. University of Scranton
– Location: Scranton, PA
– Students: 3,626 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 76% (ACT: 24-29; SAT: 1120-1310)
– Net price per year: $36,235
– Graduation rate: 83%
– Six-year median earnings: $57,500
This private Jesuit institution was founded as St. Thomas College before elevating to university status in 1938. To this day, the school’s mission and values follow the teachings of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola, whereby students and faculty are asked to “seek God in all things.” Fun fact: Both Jim Halpert (played by John Krasinski) and Ryan Howard (played by B.J. Novak), characters on the popular TV series “The Office,” “attended” the University of Scranton.
Creative Commons // Wikimedia Commons
#26. West Texas A&M University
– Location: Canyon, TX
– Students: 5,582 (student to faculty ratio: 18:1)
– Acceptance rate: 69% (ACT: 17-23; SAT: 940-1140)
– Net price per year: $12,982
– Graduation rate: 45%
– Six-year median earnings: $42,700
Originally founded as a teachers college, West Texas A&M has become one of the largest public colleges in the state. Its student population is largely female with a minority enrollment of more than 40%. Despite being located in one of the most conservative states of the U.S., the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers free courses on diversity that are open to the public. Fun fact: Famed artist Georgia O’Keeffe served as the school’s art director from 1916 to 1918.
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#25. Maranatha Baptist University
– Location: Watertown, WI
– Students: 509 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 77% (ACT: 19-26; SAT: 1010-1200)
– Net price per year: $19,399
– Graduation rate: 55%
– Six-year median earnings: $33,000
A small Baptist university in Wisconsin, Maranatha Baptist University requires students under the age of 23 to live on campus unless they are commuting or living with their parents. Daily church services are a part of campus life and the university has a college conservative club, but no equivalent for liberal or progressive views.
Wissembourg // Wikimedia Commons
#24. University of Dallas
– Location: Irving, TX
– Students: 1,443 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 45% (ACT: 24-30; SAT: 1130-1360)
– Net price per year: $26,761
– Graduation rate: 71%
– Six-year median earnings: $47,400
A major Catholic university, the University of Dallas is seen as being a fount of conservative cultural perspectives. William F. Buckley and Pat Buchanan are among the many conservative leaders who have spoken there. The school is also viewed as a leader in Catholic orthodoxy and tradition.
Wcbpolish // Wikimedia Commons
#23. Cornerstone University
– Location: Grand Rapids, MI
– Students: 1,020 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 78% (ACT: 19-26; SAT: 950-1190)
– Net price per year: $19,923
– Graduation rate: 60%
– Six-year median earnings: $35,400
A nondenominational Christian university, Cornerstone University was once the Baptist Bible Institute. Cornerstone has a seminary program on campus. However, what makes the school noteworthy is an open and public adherence to Christian ideology. It is not uncommon to see public praying in the quad, and most school activities center around faith.
Excel23 // Wikimedia Commons
#22. Anderson University – South Carolina
– Location: Anderson, SC
– Students: 2,544 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 69% (ACT: 20-26; SAT: 860-1210)
– Net price per year: $21,599
– Graduation rate: 67%
– Six-year median earnings: $35,200
A highly selective private school, Anderson University is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The school requires students to take two Bible courses to graduate: Introduction to the Bible and The Teachings of Jesus.
Ianmccor // Wikimedia Commons
#21. North Greenville University
– Location: Tigerville, SC
– Students: 1,758 (student to faculty ratio: 14:1)
– Acceptance rate: 63% (ACT: 19-28; SAT: 870-1240)
– Net price per year: $19,124
– Graduation rate: 59%
– Six-year median earnings: $34,400
North Greenville University is a private Baptist university. Affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention, the university made the news in 2019 when it was ordered to pay $2.5 million in penalties for allegedly violating a ban barring schools from compensating recruiters with commissions or bonuses.
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#20. Wayne State College
– Location: Wayne, NE
– Students: 2,635 (student to faculty ratio: 21:1)
– Acceptance rate: 100% (ACT: data not available; SAT: data not available)
– Net price per year: $13,770
– Graduation rate: 51%
– Six-year median earnings: $36,100
Wayne State College, despite having a robust Title IX program, is no stranger to conservative clashes within its student ranks. In late 2021, Student Senate President Blake Aspen wrote a letter to the editor of the college newspaper arguing that the student-run publication needed more conservative voices after it published a string of articles critical of conservative Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. The paper refused to run Aspen’s rebuttal, and consequently, he launched a campaign via social media against what he called “borderline slanderous” attacks against himself and Ricketts.
rklopfer // Wikimedia Commons
#19. Franciscan University of Steubenville
– Location: Steubenville, OH
– Students: 2,063 (student to faculty ratio: 14:1)
– Acceptance rate: 77% (ACT: 22-29; SAT: 1090-1300)
– Net price per year: $26,356
– Graduation rate: 77%
– Six-year median earnings: $37,700
The Rev. Sean Sheridan, former president of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, resigned after it was reported that the school initially offered support to an English professor who assigned a pornographic book to his graduate course in 2018. The argument—that the assignment could help students deal with their faith by showing two sides of an issue—was silenced by later news that Sheridan’s office tried to stifle staff from speaking about the issue to the media. This reflected the attitude of the Catholic university, where the human life studies minor explores aspects of the “Culture of Death”—a concept suggested by Pope John Paul II that opposes “sexual irresponsibility,” a reference to LGBTQ+ sexuality.
TheSource2001 // Wikimedia Commons
#18. Taylor University
– Location: Upland, IN
– Students: 1,799 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 68% (ACT: 22-28; SAT: 1080-1310)
– Net price per year: $26,703
– Graduation rate: 77%
– Six-year median earnings: $38,000
Taylor University is a private, interdenominational, evangelical Christian university. Known largely for its hospitality and leisure management programs, the school also requires all students, faculty, and staff to make a profession of faith before entering the university. Regular chapel attendance is also required, with upperclassmen taking charge of freshmen attendance and organizing “worship nights.”
Valis55 // Wikimedia Commons
#17. Harding University
– Location: Searcy, AR
– Students: 3,533 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 61% (ACT: 21-29; SAT: 1060-1270)
– Net price per year: $19,578
– Graduation rate: 69%
– Six-year median earnings: $40,900
The largest private university in Arkansas, Harding University is associated with the Churches of Christ. The university requires students to attend morning chapel services, to complete eight credit hours of Bible studies, and to take a Bible study class if the student has eight credit hours of courses scheduled in a single semester. Individuals of opposite genders are banned from being in the same dorm room at the same time under any circumstance, extramarital or homosexual sex is prohibited, and alcohol consumption is not allowed on campus.
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#16. Southern Methodist University
– Location: Dallas, TX
– Students: 6,519 (student to faculty ratio: 11:1)
– Acceptance rate: 47% (ACT: 29-33; SAT: 1300-1480)
– Net price per year: $40,404
– Graduation rate: 81%
– Six-year median earnings: $60,700
Though founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South—now the United Methodist Church—Southern Methodist University’s long-standing connection with the church has begun to fracture. In 2019, the university amended its bylaws and articles of incorporation to take control out of the church’s hands and place it exclusively with the university’s board of trustees as a result of the church’s redoubled prohibitions against same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. The church sued in Dallas County court, but the court ultimately ruled in favor of the university. As of 2022, the case is pending appeal.
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Jonrmart2016 // Wikimedia Commons
#15. University of Tennessee – Martin
– Location: Martin, TN
– Students: 4,754 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 64% (ACT: 21-26; SAT: 975-1170)
– Net price per year: $11,673
– Graduation rate: 47%
– Six-year median earnings: $36,200
University of Tennessee – Martin’s history is rooted in the southern Baptist tradition. It was founded by the Tennessee Baptist Convention as the Hall-Moody Bible Institute, and Baptist religious values remain a core component of student life to this day. The college has several religious groups, including the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Church of Christ Student Center, and the Wesley Foundation. In 1961, UTMB was the first school in the University of Tennessee system to embrace racial desegregation of undergraduates.
Turn685 // Wikimedia Commons
#14. Dallas Baptist University
– Location: Dallas, TX
– Students: 2,332 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 90% (ACT: 21-26; SAT: 1030-1250)
– Net price per year: $27,259
– Graduation rate: 58%
– Six-year median earnings: $43,200
Dallas Baptist University is a Christian liberal arts university. Its bachelor’s degrees for working adults have made the school one of the most well-respected programs for working adults pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Texas. The university’s mission is to “provide Christ-centered quality higher education in the arts, sciences, and professional studies at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to traditional age and adult students in order to produce servant leaders who have the ability to integrate faith and learning through their respective callings.”
Sweetmoose6 // Wikimedia Commons
#13. Samford University
– Location: Birmingham, AL
– Students: 3,509 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 83% (ACT: 23-29; SAT: 1070-1250)
– Net price per year: $30,695
– Graduation rate: 76%
– Six-year median earnings: $49,900
Originally known as Howard College, Samford University is a Christian college. With a divinity school on campus, Samford is a high-ranking school on the national “Best Value” charts. The student body is 82% white, 62% Republican, and 46% conservative, per Niche data.
Jillian Cain Photography // Shutterstock
#12. University of Wyoming
– Location: Laramie, WY
– Students: 8,332 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 96% (ACT: 22-28; SAT: 1060-1280)
– Net price per year: $12,880
– Graduation rate: 60%
– Six-year median earnings: $47,300
In 1969, 14 Black players on the University of Wyoming Cowboys football team were suspended by coach Lloyd Eaton for protesting racist policies within Brigham Young University (BYU) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before a game against BYU. The following year, Eaton was removed as coach, but it was not until 2019 that the university publicly apologized for the incident. The university’s current board of trustees has no Black, Indigenous, or members of color, and among its ex-officio members is conservative former Wyoming Gov. Matthew Mead and current Republican Gov. Mark Gordon.
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#11. Grove City College
– Location: Grove City, PA
– Students: 2,172 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 79% (ACT: 23-30; SAT: 1130-1380)
– Net price per year: $22,344
– Graduation rate: 85%
– Six-year median earnings: data not available
A former teachers college, Grove City College is a nondenominational Christian liberal arts school. Students are required to attend 16 chapel services per semester, and the school is regularly affiliated with conservative and libertarian think tanks.
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#10. Palm Beach Atlantic University
– Location: West Palm Beach, FL
– Students: 2,264 (student to faculty ratio: 12:1)
– Acceptance rate: 95% (ACT: 20-26; SAT: 980-1200)
– Net price per year: $25,908
– Graduation rate: 57%
– Six-year median earnings: $40,600
A private Christian university, Palm Beach Atlantic University was founded in 1968 by the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach. While the school is no longer affiliated with the church, students must attend chapel services 24 times a year.
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#9. Biola University
– Location: La Mirada, CA
– Students: 3,772 (student to faculty ratio: 14:1)
– Acceptance rate: 70% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1080-1310)
– Net price per year: $33,331
– Graduation rate: 74%
– Six-year median earnings: $44,500
Biola University is an evangelical Christian university near Los Angeles. Standing for the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Biola not only maintains four university centers—the Center for Christian Thought; the Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts; the Center for Marriage and Relationships; and the Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today—but it also has a center for messianic Jewish studies in New York City. In addition, the university offers an online database for the sharing of videos and learning materials on academic material from a Christian perspective.
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#8. Utah State University
– Location: Logan, UT
– Students: 17,063 (student to faculty ratio: 19:1)
– Acceptance rate: 91% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1050-1310)
– Net price per year: $13,452
– Graduation rate: 54%
– Six-year median earnings: $43,200
A public land-grant university, Utah State University is the most conservative non-religiously affiliated university on this list. The high population of Mormon students, however, plus the presence of the largest non-regular curriculum seminary in the United States and no Greek system on campus, offer a conservative college atmosphere.
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#7. Lee University
– Location: Cleveland, TN
– Students: 3,677 (student to faculty ratio: 15:1)
– Acceptance rate: 82% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 910-1230)
– Net price per year: $16,949
– Graduation rate: 60%
– Six-year median earnings: $34,200
A part of the Appalachian College Association, Lee University is a Christ-centered, private institution that offers its students undergraduate and graduate programs both on campus and through distance learning. Lee University is committed to the “conservative, evangelical, Pentecostal religious position of its sponsoring denomination,” the Church of God International Offices in Cleveland. Part of the school’s mission statement notes “the foundational purpose of all educational programs at Lee is to develop within the students knowledge, appreciation, understanding, ability, and skills which will prepare them for responsible Christian living in a complex world.”
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#6. Colorado Christian University
– Location: Lakewood, CO
– Students: 1,737 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 100% (ACT: data not available; SAT: data not available)
– Net price per year: $26,476
– Graduation rate: 55%
– Six-year median earnings: $39,300
Originally known as the Denver Bible Institute, the interdenominational Colorado Christian University requires traditional undergraduate students to sign a “Lifestyle Covenant.” This covenant requires students to attend church services, to stay in compliance with all laws, and to engage in behavior cohesive to community living. Violation of the covenant is subject to immediate suspension or expulsion.
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#5. Liberty University
– Location: Lynchburg, VA
– Students: 28,487 (student to faculty ratio: 17:1)
– Acceptance rate: 51% (ACT: 21-28; SAT: 1040-1260)
– Net price per year: $28,181
– Graduation rate: 47%
– Six-year median earnings: $36,700
The evangelical Christian university Liberty University was co-founded by Southern Baptist evangelist-turned-political-advocate Jerry Falwell. First-year students are required to take three Bible studies courses, and the university’s honor code prohibits premarital sex and interactions between members of the opposite sex in private. The university is also known for teaching creationism alongside evolutionary biology, and for having strong anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
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#4. Bob Jones University
– Location: Greenville, SC
– Students: 2,314 (student to faculty ratio: 13:1)
– Acceptance rate: 100% (ACT: 20-27; SAT: 960-1180)
– Net price per year: $14,570
– Graduation rate: 66%
– Six-year median earnings: data not available
Founded by evangelist Bob Jones Sr. in the 1920s during the Presbyterian Church’s Fundamentalist-Modernist schism, Bob Jones University was created specifically to combat secularism in higher education. A traditionally conservative school, the university has spawned controversy by embracing accreditation only recently, having an interracial dating ban as late as 2000, previously supporting racial segregation, and actively engaging in Republican politics. Possession of pornography, alcohol, or drugs, or demonstrating for a cause the university does not support are all grounds for expulsion.
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#3. Brigham Young University – Idaho
– Location: Rexburg, ID
– Students: 18,448 (student to faculty ratio: 19:1)
– Acceptance rate: 96% (ACT: 19-25; SAT: 990-1200)
– Net price per year: $7,038
– Graduation rate: 60%
– Six-year median earnings: $42,700
Previously known as Ricks College, Brigham Young University-Idaho adheres to the same Latter-day Saints code of conduct for its students as the original Brigham Young University. The rules include strict adherence to a dress code, no extramarital sex, and no recreational use of drugs or alcohol. Since almost all of the university’s students are members of the LDS church and all students must receive an ecclesiastical endorsement to enroll, the school maintains a religious atmosphere.
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#2. Cedarville University
– Location: Cedarville, OH
– Students: 3,438 (student to faculty ratio: 16:1)
– Acceptance rate: 79% (ACT: 23-29; SAT: 1120-1350)
– Net price per year: $23,827
– Graduation rate: 75%
– Six-year median earnings: $41,300
A private Baptist university in Ohio, Cedarville University distinguishes itself by requiring all students to take a 15-credit-hour minor in Bible studies, as well as attend weekday church services. The university’s academic freedom policy strictly controls the media, literature, and art used in classrooms and on campus, which has led some to call the rules censorship.
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#1. Brigham Young University
– Location: Provo, UT
– Students: 28,288 (student to faculty ratio: 20:1)
– Acceptance rate: 67% (ACT: 26-31; SAT: 1210-1420)
– Net price per year: $13,340
– Graduation rate: 78%
– Six-year median earnings: $59,700
Fully owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brigham Young University is known for its strict honor code, prohibiting extramarital sex, profanity, tobacco, caffeine, tea, alcohol, and recreational drugs. The school also mandates courses in Bible studies, in LDS scripture and doctrine, and in church history.
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