There are hundreds of Christian colleges all over the country. In order to choose the best one for your teen you will need to have some kind of criteria in your mind. Is there a particular state you want him in? Are you only willing to spend so much for tuition? What is his major going to be? These are all important questions for choosing a Christian college.
Location Matters
You have choices of where the college is located. It can be in a major city, a small town, or out in the boondocks. Decide what kind of environment you want your teen in. There is at least one Christian college in every state. If you want your teen nearby, choose a college in the state you live in. If location does not matter, then choose the college based on other criteria.
Knowing Your Teen's Degree and/or Major Interests
There are Christian colleges where your teen can get an Associates degree, a Bachelors degree, Masters degree, and even a Ph.D. There are also plenty of options for teens who want to earn a license in a particular field, such as medical assisting, or complete a certification program in technology, as well as many other fields.
If your child is not ready to choose a major right away, there is always the option of getting an Associates degree first, and then deciding on continued studies at a later time. Liberal Arts courses are a great way for a new college student to learn about many different professions before making a solid decision for career training. All of this can be done through a Christian college, where biblical courses are always offered at any stage of your teen's education.
Depending on the specific college you are looking at, Christian colleges offer majors in:
- Computer Science
- Religion
- Early Childhood Education
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Psychology
- Art
- Education
- Management
Christian colleges are not limited to what your teen can study and accomplish. The basic difference between a Christian college and other colleges is that the core mission statement of the institution is based on biblical principals, and biblical classes are always available for students who wish to pursue a career in ministry or missions.
Sports Interest and Scholarships
If your teen is interested in sports you can choose a college based on that. There are intercollegiate and intramural sports in just about any sport you can think of for both boys and girls. Besides the basic football, baseball, and basketball, there are equestrian sports, golf, tennis, gymnastics, and much more.
Christian colleges offer scholarships for sports just like any other college or university. You need to discuss your teen's scholarship possibilities with specific administrative offices of colleges that you are considering to find out details about earning scholarships for sports.
Affiliation Considerations
Another consideration in which Christian college to choose is the denomination. There are several to choose from. You can choose from Baptist, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian, Catholic, and everywhere in between. If your current denomination is important to you and your teen, which in many cases it is a huge deciding factor, than you can rest assured that you have options. Here is a small list of colleges based on denominations that you can consider with your child:
- Asbury College, Independent/Non-Denominational: Wilmore, KY
- Baylor University, Baptist: Waco, TX
- Central Christian College, Methodist: McPherson, KS
- Waynesburg University, Presbyterian: Waynesburg, PA
- College of Saint Elizabeth, Catholic: Convent Station, NJ
Extensive list available at Christian College Guide.
Enrollment Factors
You may wish to consider enrollment size, how large the college is. Another factor is the male to female ratio. You can choose an all girl or all boy school or somewhere in between. Another important factor is the student to teacher ratio. The lower the ratio, the more quality time with the teacher. Try to choose a college with a lower student/teacher ratio.
Christian College Tuition Costs
Of course, the tuition cost of a Christian college is probably going to be a factor. What would be good to look into is that many of the colleges offer grants and scholarships to offset the costs of tuition. There may be a college that will give your teen a full scholarship or grant, depending on his grades and need.
As you can see, there is a lot to think about and learn when choosing a Christian college for your teen. Take your time. Get information for those you may be interested in. Visit a few if they are nearby. Narrow it down to two or three choices and then ask the admissions offices lots of questions. There is much to be said for a teen who is happy with his college.
 |
