Why Faith-Based Schools

So, why would you choose a faith-based school over a community college or four-year state university? Lots of reasons—but here are a few of the main ones:

  1. A faith-based school offers its students a community of believers. Many students heading away from home for the first time find it comforting to enroll in a school with an environment of like-minded peers. If you are a believer who wants to share your values, then a faith-based school might seem like a natural step. Students of faith-based schools often give these similar reasons:
    • "So I can build or extend a foundation of faith with like-minded believers and friends."
    • "So, that I can explore spiritual options as part of my overall development."
    • "So that I can learn and socialize in a safe and nurturing environment."
  2. A faith-based school puts a premium on personal responsibility. As a student, your level of personal responsibility is tested by social and behavioral guidelines that are typically more compelling than at state schools. This can give you advantages like quieter and more orderly dorms, more open involvement of school officials and often, higher academic standards. Students at faith-based schools express their rationale like this:
  3. A faith-based school emphasizes quality over quantity. These schools are typically smaller than state universities, with all that implies: closer interaction with faculty, more opportunity for extracurricular involvement, smaller classes, increased face-to-face interaction at all campus levels. A typical student response to this environment is, "So that I can cultivate a holistic approach to my education with one that blends value-based learning with professional skills development."
  4. A faith-based school embraces outreach. Want to serve others in campus ministries, worship services, school-based mission trips or through activism in your community? At a faith-based school, "getting involved" is the rule, not the exception. Students attracted to faith-based schools give reasons like these:
    • "So that I can prepare for the ministry or a faith-based profession."
    • "So that I can participate in a tradition of faith that includes religious rituals and church-centered events."
    • "So I can travel and experience other environments and cultures through outreach and mission activities."
  5. A faith-based school can be surprisingly affordable. Even though usually privately funded, most faith-based schools offer scholarships to students, provide work-study opportunities and can participate in federal Title IV funding guidelines along with repayment plans. The cost-benefit ratio can be an ultimate bonus of choosing a faith-based school. Students often choose a faith-based school, "So I can pay for my education through financial aid incentives that include grants, scholarships and work-study programs."