The 10 Best Christian Colleges in North Carolina for 2024

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The editors at Lord’s Library have compiled this list of the best Christian colleges in North Carolina to save you the search.

Searching for the best Christian colleges in North Carolina can involve a fair bit of research with a number of options across the state. According to Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study, the religious composition of Christian adults in the state is 77 percent. North Carolina’s Christian higher learning landscape includes colleges and universities with varying degrees of religious study, as well as dedicated Bible colleges for a scripture-first approach.

Choosing the institution that is right for you will largely depend on your spiritual and educational goals. It’s with this in mind that our editors assembled this list of the best Christian colleges in North America to consider. Each entry includes the school’s location and a brief “From the institution” description to give you a high-level overview of the college and save you time. Simply click the college name or logo to go direct to the institution’s website if you want to learn more.

Note: The best Christian colleges in North Carolina are ranked in alphabetical order.

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The Best Christian Colleges in North Carolina


Barbara Scotia CollegeBarber Scotia College

Location: Concord, NC

From the institution: “We know that success is easier when you have an excellent education. Founded by the Presbyterian Church for newly emancipated African Americans, our educators have been compassionate, knowledgeable and committed to the highest levels of inquiry and bring a high degree of enthusiasm to the subject they teach. Since our inception, most of our educators have been recognized in their field. Barber-Scotia College continues to foster the ideals of uplifting humankind through education. Its ongoing relationship with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and currently to the Presbyterian Church (USA), has made it possible to do God’s work and carry out the mission for more than 155 years.”


Campbell UniversityCampbell University

Location: Buies Creek, NC

From the institution: “The mission of Campbell University is to graduate students with exemplary academic and professional skills who are prepared for purposeful lives and meaningful service. The University is informed and inspired by its Baptist heritage and three basic theological and biblical presuppositions: learning is appointed and conserved by God as essential to the fulfillment of human destiny; in Christ all things consist and find ultimate unity; and the Kingdom of God in this world is rooted and grounded in Christian community. The University embraces the conviction that there is no conflict between the life of faith and the life of inquiry.”


Carolina Christian CollegeCarolina Christian College

Location: Winston-Salem, NC

From the institution: “It is the mission of Carolina Christian College to provide Biblically based academic programs that prepare men and women of all races for ministry and community service with a focus on the African-American community. Carolina Christian College continues to fulfill the vision of its founders. The student body reflects the community that it serves with black and white, male and female students. The heart of Carolina Christian College is expressed in our motto “Preparing real people for real ministry in a real world.”


Carolina UniversityCarolina University

Location: Winston-Salem, NC

From the institution: “Carolina University’s history has positioned the institution to become innovative and transformational within the nation’s higher education sector. Although our roots go back over one hundred years, Carolina University is a modern American university that fills existing gaps in higher education. In particular, its historical Christ-centered focus led to an ethos of empowerment through the pursuit of knowledge and widening access to underserved populations and evolved to meet acute educational deficits experienced by disadvantaged sections of society.”


Emmanuel UniversityEmmanuel University

Location: Raleigh, NC

From the institution: “Ema Edison School of Christian Studies is the Theology outfit of Emmanuel University. Students can earn their degrees in practical theology that they can put to use rather than looking for churches to employ them. We believe in God, the Creator, and the Maker of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind. He gave His life on the cross and rose on the third day. We believe in the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and the great Teacher.”


Gardner-Webb UniversityGardner-Webb University

Location: Boiling Springs, NC

From the institution: “Acknowledging one God – Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of life; committing to the lordship of Christ and self-giving service displayed in Christ-like moral action that respects the dignity and value of every person. Affirming historic Baptist values such as the authority of Scripture in matters of faith and practice, the freedom of individual conscience and the right of people to worship God as they choose, the priesthood of all believers, the autonomy of the local church, and the separation of church and state.”


Lees-McRae CollegeLees-McRae College

Location: Banner Elk, NC

From the institution: “Banner’s Elk,” as the village was once called, is said to have been settled around 1850. By the end of the century, the Presbyterian Church was becoming established in the area. In the summer of 1895, Concord Presbytery sent a young student from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia to organize a church at Banner Elk. More than a hundred years after its founding, Lees-McRae continues the vision of the Rev. Tufts, inspiring students of the Southern Appalachian region and beyond.”


Mid-Atlantic Christian UniversityMid-Atlantic Christian University

Location: Elizabeth City, NC

From the institution: “The educational philosophy of Mid-Atlantic Christian University rests upon the conviction that all truth comes from God. Only the Bible, God‘s word, enables us to integrate all fields of knowledge into a meaningful unity; it alone answers the deep questions of the human mind and spirit. Hence, all courses at Mid-Atlantic Christian University are taught from the perspective of the Christian worldview. Mid-Atlantic Christian University provides a Christian education based on a three-fold program of undergraduate instruction: Biblical and theological studies, general studies and professional studies.”


Montreat CollegeMontreat College

Location: Montreat, NC

From the institution: “Montreat College is an independent, Christ-centered, liberal arts institution that educates students through intellectual inquiry, spiritual formation, and preparation for calling and career, all to impact the world for Jesus Christ. The trustees and employees of Montreat College constitute an academic community of caring believers committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Students are welcomed to this Christian community regardless of belief.”


St. Andrews UniversitySt. Andrews University

Location: Laurinburg, NC

From the institution: “In September 1961, the first students stepped onto the grounds of a spacious, lake-centered campus that only a short time earlier had been named St. Andrews Presbyterian College. In 2011 Webber International University and St. Andrews Presbyterian College received approval to merge the two institutions and St. Andrews became a branch of Webber International University. In the Fall of 2011 St. Andrews Presbyterian College became St. Andrews University, a branch of Webber International University. The University’s mission is to offer students an array of business, liberal arts and sciences, and pre-professional programs of study that create a life-transforming educational opportunity that is practical in its application, global in its scope, and multi-disciplinary in its general education core.”


NOW READ: The Ultimate List of Christian Colleges and Universities in America by State


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Timothy Andrew

Timothy Andrew

Tim is the Founder of Lord's Library. He believes the Bible commands us to minister "as of the ability which God giveth" (1 Peter 4:11). Tim aspires to be as The Lord's mouth by "taking forth the precious from the vile" (Jeremiah 15:19) and witnessing The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4) to the whole world.

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