Are There Any Online Christian Colleges?

Faith-based colleges offer advantages to students who want to study with like-minded peers, but you might be wondering if all the institutions have a traditional structure or if there are online Christian colleges to choose from.

While there is currently not a Christian college that solely delivers instruction online, there are online degree offerings popping up all over the globe with schools in this arena.

If you would like to learn more about the faith-based schools, distance education and how schools are graded, read on and you will be prepared to choose the best option.

What is the Advantage of Earning a Degree Online?

One of the biggest advantages of studying at a school of faith is that you can foster your spirituality in a setting where all of the other students are doing the same. While building relationships in school is important, there are other highlights to consider. You may not study in the classroom where you will build rapport with other students of faith in person, but you can still benefit from studying for a degree with online curriculum that has a religious focus and helps you achieve a Biblical worldview.

One of the major benefits of studying online for a religious college degree is that you can maximize the flexibility of your program. The cost of attending an online program that is infused with faith-based principles can also be lower than attending a brick-and-mortar college that tends to have a more intimate setting. These are just a few reasons why Christian colleges are becoming more committed to online learning.

How Can you Study Online While Taking Faith-focused Curriculum?

The benefits of online learning are undeniable, but when you would prefer to earn a religious degree over a secular one, your options may be limited. There will always be schools that are behind the times and only allow students the option to study on-campus. With this being said, there are prestigious Christian colleges that have brick-and-mortar locations but still offer degree programs that you can study for entirely online. Here are some institutions that offer online learning:

* Liberty University
* Regent University
* California Baptist Church
* University of St. Francis
* Grand Canyon University
* Biola University
* Gardner Webb University

What Criteria Should You Consider to Choose the Best College?

There are so many different factors to look at when you are comparing colleges, but when you want to attend an evangelical school the list gets even longer.

You need to start by checking into the regional and national accreditation status of the school. Once you have located the 570 Christian colleges that are accredited and recognized by the Department of Education, you need to then move on to review the Christian character of the school, the quality of the curriculum, and what the statistics say. If the school has low student-to-teacher ratios, high graduate rates, high job placement rates and easy accessibility ratings then it should be ranked high on your list.

As you can see, there might not be online-only Christian colleges, but there are online options. Be sure to research each school and get a feel for what makes the school different. Once you have your list of online Christian colleges narrowed down, check into the degree programs that are offered in a distance education format and see if it is the right school for you.

Additional Resource: The 100 Most Affordable Online Colleges in the U.S.