Gardner Hall at Eastern Nazarene College (Photo credit: Eastern Nazarene College)
This past summer, Theology Degrees (theologydegrees.org) ranked ENC as 19th among the “Top 50 U.S. Christian Colleges.” The list features the top 50 protestant evangelical universities for the 2017-2018 school year.
Theology Degrees ranked the schools based on affordability, student to faculty ratio, and graduation rate, according to the organization’s website. A metric scale was also used to determine each institution’s individual ranking. For example, if a school’s graduation rate was over 85%, a total of eight points was added to their rating. In comparison, if a school’s graduation rate was between 50-60%, it received only one point.
Similar rating systems were used for the three categories listed above, however, the highest number of points an institution could receive for the cost of tuition was a six, while the highest number of points to receive for student to faculty ratio was seven. ENC’s tuition rate of $29,880, graduation rate of 65%, and student to faculty ratio of 14:1 earned a total rating of 12.
In the event that two or more schools had the same number of points, precedence was given to the school with highest graduation rate. If graduation rate was also similar, the position was awarded to the school with the lower tuition rate.
Theology Degrees listed other factors in choosing which schools made their list, such as different things the schools had to offer. ENC’s notable attribution is the fact that 100% of incoming freshman receive financial aid through merit or need-based grants.
A few other Nazarene colleges made the list, including Point Loma Nazarene University, with a ranking of #9, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, with a ranking of #38, and MidAmerica Nazarene University, with a ranking of #2 on the list. The number one school on the list was Wheaton College. Their standout feature was their high graduation rate, which is 89%.
According to their website, the mission of the Theology Degrees organization is “to help guide others as they make decisions to use their faith in both their professional and personal lives. We hope to offer solutions for those looking to answer a call that a Higher power has put into their lives by assisting with potential career opportunities but promoting institutions of higher-education, based in theology and seminary.”