News: CCU on A-List in College Rankings

CCU students and faculty in science lab

CCU Maintains A-List Status in 2022-23 ACTA National Rankings

CCU Ranked in Top 2% of Colleges Nationwide

Proving a commitment to prepare its students for professional success and informed citizenship, Colorado Christian University, the flagship Christian liberal arts university in the Rocky Mountain Region, earned an "A" rating for the 11th consecutive year in the annual "What Will They Learn?" report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) for the University's College of Undergraduate Studies.

"We believe that students need core subjects to become well-rounded learners, critical thinkers, and problem solvers," said Tim McTavish, CCU interim president. "To better understand and interact with the world around them, students need to have a foundational understanding in the core academic areas — no matter what their career focus is. This is part of the value of higher education."

CCU was one of only 22 universities nationwide to earn a top grade for its rigorous core curriculum and one of only two in the state of Colorado, sharing the accolade with the United States Air Force Academy. To achieve an "A" from ACTA's Council of Scholars, a university must require students to complete coursework in at least six of seven essential liberal arts and science disciplines, including:

  • Composition
  • Literature
  • Foreign language
  • U.S. government or history
  • Economics
  • Mathematics
  • Natural science

The distinguished "What Will They Learn" report is the only rating system that examines the course catalogs of each school to provide an urgently needed alternative assessment, based on an institution's core curriculum. ACTA's research team also collects data on several indicators that predict student success after college, including student-to-faculty ratios, campus-specific student loan default rates, graduation rates, the state of free expression on campus, and the cost of attendance.

"The ACTA study is relevant because, as they point out, an overwhelming majority of American adults believe colleges and universities should require all students to take basic classes in core subject areas," said Dr. Janet Black, vice president of Academic Affairs for the College of Undergraduate Studies. "CCU agrees with this assessment and believes these core subjects are the building blocks to any number of career paths."

"What Will They Learn?" is a study of core academic requirements at all the major public and private universities in all 50 states — a total of 1,130 four-year institutions that together enroll more than 7.5 million undergraduate students. Its results are available to the public on a free website, WhatWillTheyLearn.com.

The ACTA rating is one more way CCU continues to be recognized for its academic excellence, outstanding faculty, and commitment to a high-quality liberal arts education. The University was recently named the No. 46 overall regional university in the West in the U.S. News & World Report 2022-23 "Best Colleges" rankings. CCU has seen 13 consecutive years of enrollment growth and has been named one of the fastest-growing universities in the U.S. by The Chronicle of Higher Education.