There are a number of factors to consider when determining what the best Christian college is for you. Do you one day want to enter the ministry? Do you want to prepare yourself for a more secular career, but prefer Christ-centered coursework and an environment that feeds you spiritually as well as intellectually? Do you want to attend a school with a long history of Christian education? What about the overall quality of the school? The good news is there are Christian colleges out there than can meet one or more of these needs, and many of them offer some or all of their courses online.

Important things to consider are the school’s theological and religious degree offerings, as well as major and minor options. This is important because you might want a blend of both the secular and the spiritual in your education, e.g. a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in Christian leadership. Other things to consider are the student-faculty ratio, financial aid offerings, college rankings, peer reviews, graduation rate and retention rate.

Is it important to you to attend a college that is affiliated with your particular Christian denomination? For instance, if you are Southern Baptist, you may be interested in one of the many colleges and universities that have a relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. The denomination of your school is especially significant if you plan on being a minister in many of them.

Sometimes schools with a storied religious history may have become increasingly secularized over the years. Ivy League universities like Harvard and Yale have a centuries-old history originally born out of training ministers, but that’s not what these great centers of education are currently known for. But take a look at Christian colleges like Wheaton College, which openly on its website writes its purpose as “For Christ And His Kingdom.” The University of Mobile describes itself as “A Distinctively Christian University.” These bold statements will give you an idea of the spiritual flavor of the school you are about to choose. Also pay attention to how colleges describe themselves. Grand Canyon University is an accredited Christian college with a strong online learning program, but it also describes itself as “providing an academically challenging, values-based curriculum from the context of our Christian heritage.” If you have placed Christ in the center of your life, it may be important to you to have Christ at the heart of your university, as well.