Jenna A. Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, contributed an essay to Religion Unplugged examining how a small number of authentically Christian colleges are thriving even as most of higher education faces steep enrollment declines.
She explains that many small religious liberal-arts institutions have struggled or closed in recent years, victims of the “demographic cliff” and of their own drift away from faith-based missions. Yet colleges that have stayed true to their Christian identity—such as Belmont Abbey College, College of the Ozarks, Hillsdale College, and the University of Dallas—are growing, thanks to students and families seeking purpose, community, and moral formation, not just career training.
Robinson argues that many once-religious colleges have erred by imitating their secular peers, abandoning distinct missions for generic programs and cultural trends. In contrast, faithful institutions that emphasize virtue, tradition, and wisdom are demonstrating the enduring appeal of a truly Christian liberal-arts education. “Reclaiming a distinct Christian identity,” she writes, “isn’t just a good enrollment strategy—it’s a return to the true purpose of higher education.”
To read the full piece, visit Religion Unplugged.