The First Three Steps in Choosing a Christian College

Sadly, many (most, really) Christian schools have compromised on the truth of God’s Word. Instead of standing firm on biblical authority, many allow man to be the authority as they teach—or at least tolerate—evolution, millions of years, LGBTQ, critical race theory, and more. So how can you know whether a Christian college is a solid college that will build up your (or your child’s) faith or one that will subtly undermine it?

Well, I encourage you to start with three things.

1. Read their statement of faith. A vague or very short statement of faith could be a warning that the school has little theological depth and is therefore more likely to compromise on the truth of Scripture.
2. Spend time on their social media. Who are they platforming? What sorts of events are they hosting? What kind of language are they using—or not using? What commentary do they post about hot-button issues? All of these can give you an idea about what the college really believes and actively teaches the students.
3. Sit down with or interview someone at the institution if their statement of faith looks robust and biblical and if their social media doesn’t raise any red flags. Ask really probing questions about what they teach concerning creation and the age of the earth (don’t just ask if they believe God created—they will almost always say yes, even if they mean he created via evolution—ask very specific questions). And ask about various cultural issues. If they hesitate in answering, are vague, or are very wishy-washy, that’s a good indication they’ve compromised in some way. If you can, ask students what the college is actually like. This gives you a perspective other than what paid staff say!

And if you’re not sure where to begin in a college search, we want to help.

Each fall, we offer a free Creation College Expo at the Ark Encounter. This event gathers schools from across the nation into one place so you can chat one-on-one with representatives. Each school has been vetted by us for their stand on biblical authority (though, of course, we encourage everyone to do their own due diligence in researching the schools). This year’s event is November 5–7, 2026, and a list of participating schools is already available on our website if you want to get a head start on your search.

They emphasize the sufficiency of the Word of God in all areas of life—a value that’s reflected in the classroom, where the Bible is the foundation of every course taught.

One of those colleges is Appalachian Bible College, an official AiG partner school. They emphasize the sufficiency of the Word of God in all areas of life—a value that’s reflected in the classroom, where the Bible is the foundation of every course taught. And to further their mission of equipping men and women to serve the Lord, they even provide a scholarship that covers 100% of tuition for first-time, full-time residential students.

If you’re looking for a Christian college that stands rooted in God’s Word and won’t plant seeds of doubt in your child or teach them to compromise, I encourage you to check out Appalachian Bible College.

And be sure to register today for our free Creation College Expo so you can visit their booth, and many others, in person.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.