Best small Christian colleges
Christian colleges with fewer than 2,000 undergraduates, ranked by Compass Score.
Best small Christian colleges104 schools
104 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Christian undergraduate colleges on the Compass. Seminaries and graduate-only schools are not counted.
- Fewer than 2,000 undergraduate students (federal enrollment).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 1,310 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 2
Asbury University
Wilmore, KY · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 1,638 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 3
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, AR · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 1,882 undergraduates
- Chapel twice a week
- 4
Walla Walla University
College Place, WA · Private nonprofit- 1,266 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 5Tie
- 5Tie
Northwest Nazarene University
Nampa, ID · Private nonprofit- 1,156 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14Tie
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit- 1,878 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 14Tie
- 16
Maranatha Baptist University
Watertown, WI · Private nonprofit- 759 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 17
- 18
Calvary University
Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 198 undergraduates
- Chapel twice a week
- 19
- 20
Nelson University
Waxahachie, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 1,413 undergraduates
- Chapel 3+ times a week
- 21
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC · Private nonprofitHonor Roll- 1,840 undergraduates
- Chapel once a week
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westmont College | $29,053 | $23,250 | $64,778 | 70% |
| Asbury University | $21,401 | $24,028 | $42,368 | 65% |
| John Brown University | $20,397 | $21,250 | $53,907 | 72% |
| Walla Walla University | $23,329 | $26,842 | $61,885 | 60% |
| Covenant College | $26,265 | $22,500 | $50,412 | 71% |
| Northwest Nazarene University | $29,580 | $23,750 | $51,719 | 71% |
| Gordon College | $24,883 | $26,250 | $52,119 | 69% |
| North Central University | $25,817 | $23,200 | $45,064 | 66% |
| Union University | $27,171 | $20,714 | $53,990 | 66% |
| Judson University | $18,558 | $25,000 | $56,313 | 60% |
| Emmaus Bible College | $13,186 | $15,750 | $42,631 | 83% |
| Northwest University | $22,288 | $20,891 | $54,914 | 71% |
| Houghton University | $20,519 | $25,250 | $46,721 | 65% |
| Freed-Hardeman University | $21,574 | $21,500 | $47,485 | 71% |
| La Sierra University | $45,566 | $27,000 | $61,824 | 60% |
| Maranatha Baptist University | $26,005 | $14,143 | $45,593 | 64% |
| Andrews University | $12,547 | $26,000 | $53,187 | 72% |
| Calvary University | $16,334 | $20,839 | $45,421 | 52% |
| Criswell College | $21,630 | $25,346 | $43,185 | 50% |
| Nelson University | $21,662 | $24,725 | $46,238 | 42% |
| Gardner-Webb University | $17,674 | $24,222 | $48,039 | 55% |
| William Jessup University | $28,062 | $23,700 | $56,257 | 56% |
| Northwestern College | $25,907 | $23,249 | $49,802 | 66% |
| Hope International University | $29,310 | $23,000 | $49,697 | 49% |
| College of the Ozarks | $6,100 | — | $41,592 | 64% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.