Christian Universities, Colleges See Increased Enrollment as Secular Institutions Falter

Despite a national decline in college enrollment, Christian universities and colleges are seeing an increase in students, Daily Caller News Foundation reports.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, undergraduate enrollment dropped 1.1% in the fall of 2022 and has declined 4.2% since 2020.

However, many faith-based institutions have reported increased enrollment due to their dedication to their values and mission.

Jonathan Sanford, president of the University of Dallas, a Catholic liberal arts university, said that they have “doubled down on our core essence and purpose as an institution and made that well known to prospective students.”

The University of Dallas welcomed its second-largest incoming class in fall 2022 and set a record enrollment rate during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Stephen Johnson, director of marketing and communications at Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas, reported “record enrollment once again for Fall 2022 and recruiting is going strong for Fall 2023.”

Emily Stack Davis, executive director of media relations and communications at Hillsdale College, stated that the school experienced a 16% increase in enrollment and a 53% increase in applications in fall 2021.

She attributes this to Hillsdale’s commitment to a “classical approach to the liberal arts” and the belief that education should focus on “permanent things – an understanding of what it means to be human, how to live a good life, and what leads to happiness.”

Chris Weinkopf, executive director of college relations at Thomas Aquinas College, said that their California campus reached maximum capacity several years ago, but they opened a New England campus in 2019 to accommodate more students.

The New England campus saw an increase from 58 students to 159 students by the start of the 2022-23 academic year.

Weinkopf stated that the school’s growth is limited by its ability to hire qualified faculty, but “by God’s grace, we have experienced no difficulty in finding new students.”

Adam Kissel, visiting fellow on higher education reform at the Heritage Foundation, pointed out that devout Christian colleges have an advantage over those that are “Christian-in-name-only,” as students are drawn to institutions with a clear identity.

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