Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2024

Badge for BEST IN FLORIDA CHRISTIAN COLLEGES

Published: Mar 16, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

For prospective college students looking for schools that align with their Christian faith and demonstrate academic excellence, here are the best Christian colleges and universities in Florida.

10 Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2024

Barry University
Florida Southern College
Eckerd College
Ave Maria University
Saint Leo University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
St. Thomas University
Warner University
Florida Memorial University
Bethune–Cookman University

Barry University
Trinity College of Florida
Florida Southern College
Eckerd College
Saint Leo University
Bethune–Cookman University
Ave Maria University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Florida Memorial University
St. Thomas University

Saint John Vianney Seminary 100%
Palm Beach Atlantic University 95%
Baptist College of Florida 89%
Bethune–Cookman University 85%
Edward Waters University 84%
Saint Leo University 80%
Johnson University Florida 79%
Florida Memorial University 70%
St. Thomas University 65%
Eckerd College 65%

Southeastern University 27 to 1
St. Thomas University 18 to 1
Saint Leo University 18 to 1
Edward Waters University 17 to 1
Bethune–Cookman University 15 to 1
Florida Memorial University 15 to 1
Florida Southern College 14 to 1
Ave Maria University 14 to 1
Warner University 13 to 1
Barry University 12 to 1

Eckerd College $48,900
Florida Southern College $40,500
Palm Beach Atlantic University $35,900
St. Thomas University $33,760
Barry University $32,500
Southeastern University $30,148
Warner University $28,044
Saint Leo University $27,050
Ave Maria University $26,354
Saint John Vianney Seminary $23,100

AdventHealth University $25,332
Saint John Vianney Seminary $23,100
Edward Waters University $22,539
Saint Leo University $18,436
Barry University $17,820
Florida Southern College $17,765
Florida Memorial University $16,708
Ave Maria University $16,300
St. Thomas University $14,400
Bethune–Cookman University $13,500

Hobe Sound Bible College
Baptist College of Florida
Edward Waters University
Trinity College of Florida
Johnson University Florida
AdventHealth University
Saint John Vianney Seminary
Trinity Baptist College
Southeastern University
Bethune–Cookman University

Baptist College of Florida
AdventHealth University
Hobe Sound Bible College
Saint John Vianney Seminary
Johnson University Florida
Edward Waters University
Trinity Baptist College
Warner University
Southeastern University
St. Thomas University

AdventHealth University 34%
Ave Maria University 44%
Trinity Baptist College 50%
Warner University 55%
Florida Southern College 57%
Trinity College of Florida 60%
Barry University 60%
Southeastern University 61%
Eckerd College 65%
St. Thomas University 65%

Saint John Vianney Seminary 4 to 1
AdventHealth University 5 to 1
Hobe Sound Bible College 6 to 1
Baptist College of Florida 8 to 1
Johnson University Florida 10 to 1
Trinity Baptist College 10 to 1
Palm Beach Atlantic University 11 to 1
Eckerd College 11 to 1
Barry University 12 to 1
Trinity College of Florida 12 to 1

Hobe Sound Bible College $7,960
Baptist College of Florida $12,450
Trinity Baptist College $14,300
Bethune–Cookman University $14,794
Edward Waters University $14,878
Trinity College of Florida $16,300
Florida Memorial University $16,836
Johnson University Florida $18,614
AdventHealth University $20,340
Saint John Vianney Seminary $23,100

Baptist College of Florida $4,620
Warner University $6,048
Palm Beach Atlantic University $11,304
Southeastern University $12,000
Bethune–Cookman University $13,500
St. Thomas University $14,400
Ave Maria University $16,300
Florida Memorial University $16,708
Florida Southern College $17,765
Barry University $17,820

Key Takeaways

Christian colleges are for students who want to continue higher education in institutions that incorporate Christian ideas into academics and student life. These colleges allow students to practice religion in a welcoming environment, enhancing their body, mind, and soul, while receiving a quality education.
Florida is among the most affordable states to seek higher education from a Christian perspective. The highest tuition fee on the list is $48,000 from Eckerd College, and the lowest is $8,000 from Hobe Sound Bible College.
Christian colleges on the list have distinct features, giving students several options in choosing a Christian college that best suits their academic interests and preferred ways of applying their faith.

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Florida

The state of Florida offers a wealth of options for students seeking both traditional and online degree programs. With more than 40 public and 50 private schools, prospective students can earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from an extremely wide variety of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Florida.

Colleges in Florida are also uniquely affordable, with the state average tuition of $6,360 falling well under the national average. Among the most popular disciplines in Florida are anthropology, nursing, law, religious studies, and earth sciences. Many of these valuable degrees are available through online courses and fully online degree programs.

Indeed, nearly 40 colleges and universities in Florida offer online degrees. These online degree programs offer flexibility, convenience and accessibility. Make sure to choose an online degree program with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Among the largest colleges in Florida is Miami Dade College. This public college is home to over 165,000 students across eight campuses and 21 outreach centers as well as various excellent online degree programs. Miami Dade College also offers an extremely affordable in-state tuition of $3,000.

Students seeking a religious school can choose from 21 colleges and universities that are grounded in Judeo-Christian, Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, and Christian principles. Ranked as the top two schools, the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) both have large student populations, with just over 45,000 at UF and just under 39,000 as FSU. Both are also affordable, with tuition at $6,000 and $7,000, respectively.

At $50,000, the University of Miami is the most expensive private college in the state and has graduated influential people such as Gene Roddenberry, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Florida also offers its nursing students up to $4,000 in financial aid through their Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Coastal cities, sandy beaches, orange groves, and vibrant flowers - it’s no wonder Florida is called The Sunshine State. Home to the famous Everglades National Park and Disney World, Florida also boasts 90 higher education institutes.

With so many options for both traditional and online colleges in Florida, this state has a lot to offer higher education students. Check out Florida’s best degree programs and top career paths.

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Florida’s Best Overall

The following list of the best Christian schools consists entirely of colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 19 Christian colleges in Florida. In order to be included in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities, a school must self-identify as Christian, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor degree programs.

Discovering Faith-based Florida Colleges

Florida, one of the top states for pursuing higher education, offers dozens of Christian colleges. Many Christian colleges are cheaper than in other major states, such as New York and California.

Numerous Bible colleges are located all around the Sunshine State, ranging in size from small institutions to major campuses. Christian colleges are private institutions set apart from other colleges by their ties to well-known religious bodies.

Benefits of Attending Christian Colleges in Florida

Low Tuition Rates

Regardless of the state, attending college can be very expensive. However, in Florida, tuition and fees for all school types are comparably cheaper. In fact, Florida is #1 for higher education in the United States, according to US News & World

Florida has the second-lowest tuition in the US and the sixth-lowest level of student debt at graduation.

Internship opportunities

Christian colleges in Florida offer students vast access to internship opportunities in settings that will satisfy their religious demands. However, the majority of internships from Christian colleges are unpaid, but they’ll give you the practical experience you need to prepare for your future career.

Work Programs

Christian colleges in Florida also focus on helping students pay for their college. As a result, most of the best Christian colleges in the state have work programs to help students make extra cash while gaining practical experience in their chosen fields.

A feeling of community.

Students can form intimate bonds with professors and fellow students at Florida Christian colleges by maintaining small class sizes. The relationships formed during this process aid students in academic and personal development.

Florida Online Christian Colleges and Financial Aid Opportunities

The majority of the best Christian colleges in Florida offer online degrees that allow students to receive the same education as their on-campus counterparts. These Christian colleges offer online courses and degrees, perfect for working professionals:

Barry University
Saint Leo University
St. Thomas University
Southeastern University
Trinity Baptist College
Advent Health University
Trinity College of Florida
Baptist College of Florida

When it comes to financial aid opportunities, Christian colleges in Florida offer plenty of them. In fact, Florida’s federal government provides grants and student loans to most of the state’s Christian Colleges, many of which also offer competitive scholarship packages to deserving students.

Students looking for Christian education in Florida with generous financial aid offers have several high-quality options. These Christian colleges provide one of the best financial aid packages:

Eckerd College
Warner University
Florida Memorial University
Hobe Sound Bible College

Students must submit the FAFSA before completing a Florida financial aid application. But students will still be able to apply for some scholarships regardless if they haven’t finished the FAFSA.

If you’re an out-of-state student, expect to pay higher tuition, fees, and limited financial aid opportunities for at least 12 months. After 12 months of staying and studying in Florida, you’ll be evaluated and have higher chances of becoming a resident and paying in-state tuition, which is significantly lower than out-of-state tuition.

How do we determine Florida's best Christian colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2023

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2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Photo Credit: Barry University, Public Domain Image, By Jutland86.

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Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2024

10 Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2024

Key Takeaways

Colleges and Universities in Florida

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Discovering Faith-based Florida Colleges

Benefits of Attending Christian Colleges in Florida

Low Tuition Rates

Internship opportunities

Work Programs

A feeling of community.

Florida Online Christian Colleges and Financial Aid Opportunities

Best Christian Colleges in Florida 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Barry University

Most Influential Alumni

Barry University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Florida Southern College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eckerd College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Ave Maria University

Career Outlook for degree at Saint Leo University

Most Influential Alumni

Saint Leo University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Palm Beach Atlantic University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at St. Thomas University

Most Influential Alumni

St. Thomas University ’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Warner University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Florida Memorial University

Career Outlook for degree at Bethune–Cookman University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southeastern University

Southeastern University ’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Trinity Baptist College

Trinity Baptist College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at AdventHealth University

AdventHealth University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Johnson University Florida

Career Outlook for degree at Trinity College of Florida

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Edward Waters University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Baptist College of Florida

Baptist College of Florida’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Find Florida’s best Christian college in your subject of interest