Jarvis Christian University

Jarvis Christian University logo
#8406 / #2219
Global Influence / U.S. Influence

Jarvis Christian University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#2219
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$11,720
Graduation rate
23%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
577

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

Jarvis Christian University Featured Rankings

About Jarvis Christian University

Reasons to Choose Jarvis Christian College

  • Get a jump start: Jarvis offers students the opportunity to take up to 12 hours of course credit the summer before their freshman year through the Early Start Summer Program.
  • Educational warranty: Graduates from Jarvis are offered the chance to “retool their skills” through auditing up to 4 classes after graduation. Students can sit in on courses to learn more about their major, develop a new talent, or focus on gaining new skills for the workplace.
  • Opportunity: Students at Jarvis are eligible for many school-sponsored scholarships including the Academic Pathway Scholarship worth up to $4,000. 97% of students at Jarvis receive financial aid.

Jarvis Christian College is a historically Black liberal arts college located in Hawkins, Texas. Founded in 1913, the history of the institution stretches back to 1904 when State Organizer Mary Alphin and the Christian Women’s Board of Missions saw the need for a school for Black youth. Originally an elementary school, Jarvis began with only 12 students, but quickly grew and evolved into a modern college home to 1,000 undergraduates.

Jarvis is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ and aims to facilitate student growth both intellectually and spiritually. Church services, Bible studies, and chapel services are held weekly at Smith-Howard Chapel, a beautiful building at the heart of the campus that contains stained-glass windows detailing the history of the college.

The school offers 3 associate degrees and 26 bachelor degrees. In-state tuition at Jarvis begins at $10,400, but scholarships are available to help reduce the expense.

Athletics are a central focus at Jarvis, with the school currently offering 6 men’s sports and 7 women’s sports, as well as the co-ed J-Squad. Jarvis is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the men’s basketball team has made it to the NAIA Division 1 basketball tournament 3 times in recent years.

Sports Offered:

  • Baseball (men’s)
  • Basketball (men’s and women’s)
  • Bowling (men’s and women’s)
  • Cross Country (men’s and women’s)
  • Soccer (men’s and women’s)
  • Softball (women’s)
  • Outdoor Track and Field (men’s and women’s)
  • Volleyball (women’s)

Campus life is filled with options:

  • 8 sorority and fraternity groups
  • Marching Band
  • Choir
  • Miss UNCF coronation
  • Service Learning
  • Community Service
  • Volunteering

According to Wikipedia, Jarvis Christian University is a private historically black Christian college in Wood County, Texas. It was founded in 1912. It had a total undergraduate enrollment of 867 in the fall of 2019. History Although formal instructional programs at Jarvis began on January 13, 1913, with an enrollment of 12 students, all in the elementary grades, the school began as early as 1904, when the Negro Disciples of Christ of Texas began to plan for a school for Black youth. A white couple whose families had owned slaves--Major James Jarvis and his wife Ida Van Zandt Jarvis--donated land upon which the school could be built; the Jarvis family deeded to the Christian Women's Board of Missions on the condition it be maintained as a school for Blacks. Jarvis opened its doors as Jarvis Christian Institute, modeled after the Southern Christian Institute located west of Jackson in Edwards, Mississippi.

Jarvis Christian University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Retention RateGraduation Rate
48%23%

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 Jarvis Christian University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$11,720
Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$11,142
30K - 48K$11,871
48K - 75K$12,299
75K - 110K$17,800
110K+$22,835

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 Jarvis Christian University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Jarvis Christian University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $37,810 a year, and 87% 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.

Jarvis Christian University's Demographics

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

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
92482797

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

Where is Jarvis Christian University?

Jarvis Christian University is located at PR 7631, Hwy 80 E, Hawkins, TX 75765-1470.

How Safe is Jarvis Christian University?

Like every college that receives federal student aid, Jarvis Christian University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.

Relative to its enrollment, Jarvis Christian University has a violent crime rate of 1.45% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. 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).

What Is Jarvis Christian University Known For?

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

Jarvis Christian University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Jarvis Christian 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

Religious Studies
#5148
World Rank
#5169
Historical Rank
#1101
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #1101 in the U.S. and #5148 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Literature
#5376
World Rank
#5407
Historical Rank
#1747
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #1747 in the U.S. and #5376 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Education
#8111
World Rank
#8115
Historical Rank
#2162
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #2162 in the U.S. and #8111 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Criminal Justice
#4733
World Rank
#4735
Historical Rank
#2310
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #2310 in the U.S. and #4733 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Mathematics
#9763
World Rank
#9779
Historical Rank
#2851
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #2851 in the U.S. and #9763 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Biology
#11601
World Rank
#11614
Historical Rank
#3099
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #3099 in the U.S. and #11601 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
History
#10652
World Rank
#10661
Historical Rank
#3168
USA Rank

Jarvis Christian University ranks #3168 in the U.S. and #10652 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees

Who Are Jarvis Christian University's Most Influential Alumni?

David "Fathead" Newman
David "Fathead" Newman
An American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist.