Bethel University

#11458 / #3024
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
Christian liberal arts college located in Mishawaka, Indiana

Bethel University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#3024
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
98%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$35,380
Graduation rate
60%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
1,008

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

About Bethel University

According to Wikipedia, Bethel University is a private Christian university in Mishawaka, Indiana. It was established in 1947 and is affiliated with the evangelical Christian Missionary Church. Organization and administration Bethel is a part of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and the Council of Independent Colleges. It is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. The institution also has specialized accreditation by The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education , the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission , the National Association of Schools of Music , the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education .

Bethel University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
83398%72%60%102520

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Bethel University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$35,380
Average Net Price by Family Income (2021–22)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$17,195
30K - 48K$23,275
48K - 75K$16,985
75K - 110K$21,132
110K+$24,122

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Bethel University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Bethel University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $54,006 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Bethel University 's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
1,3921,217175

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Bethel University ?

Bethel University is located at 1001 Bethel Circle, Mishawaka, IN 46545-5591.

How Safe is Bethel University ?

Relative to its enrollment, Bethel University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Mishawaka has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of 2.63%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is Bethel University Known For?

Bethel University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Bethel University 's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Bethel University 's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

Sociology
#4683
World Rank
#4687
Historical Rank
#1488
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #1488 in the U.S. and #4683 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Mathematics
#5858
World Rank
#5882
Historical Rank
#1558
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #1558 in the U.S. and #5858 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Religious Studies
#7920
World Rank
#7931
Historical Rank
#1763
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #1763 in the U.S. and #7920 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Business
#7705
World Rank
#7706
Historical Rank
#2145
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2145 in the U.S. and #7705 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
History
#8076
World Rank
#8085
Historical Rank
#2452
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2452 in the U.S. and #8076 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Psychology
#6655
World Rank
#6662
Historical Rank
#2486
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2486 in the U.S. and #6655 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees
Criminal Justice
#5155
World Rank
#5157
Historical Rank
#2492
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2492 in the U.S. and #5155 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Nursing
#6734
World Rank
#6734
Historical Rank
#2561
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2561 in the U.S. and #6734 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Philosophy
#8741
World Rank
#8773
Historical Rank
#2662
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2662 in the U.S. and #8741 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Biology
#10391
World Rank
#10405
Historical Rank
#2663
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2663 in the U.S. and #10391 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Computer Science
#10433
World Rank
#10443
Historical Rank
#2810
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #2810 in the U.S. and #10433 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Education
#12441
World Rank
#12444
Historical Rank
#3351
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #3351 in the U.S. and #12441 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Communications
#13297
World Rank
#13307
Historical Rank
#3650
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #3650 in the U.S. and #13297 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Medical
#13153
World Rank
#13154
Historical Rank
#3668
USA Rank

Bethel University ranks #3668 in the U.S. and #13153 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees

Who Are Bethel University 's Most Influential Alumni?

Douglas L. Fagerstrom
An American theologian.