Private colleges, including Christian colleges, have a higher average cost for tuition and related fees than most public colleges. According to the College Board website, as of 2010, the cost for full-time out-of-state students at four-year public colleges averaged $11,990, while the cost for full-time out-of-state students at four-year private colleges averaged $27,293. Many Christian universities work with parents and students on an individual level to help provide substantial financial aid, however, to help cover the higher costs.
Most public universities have lower standards for admission, since, as federally funded institutions, public universities have an obligation to accept students of nearly all backgrounds and academic standings. Private Christian universities have steeper admissions requirements, however, usually including a minimum grade point average and minimum standardized test scores. Many Christian colleges also prefer students with extracurricular or community involvement, which is a good way for students with marginal grades to add to their admissions resume.
Most private Christian colleges have smaller class sizes than the average public college. Smaller class sizes presents greater opportunity for students and professors to interact on an individual level. Students at most Christian colleges have a name, not just a number. Smaller class sizes also mean that students participate in class discussion more. Professors at Christian colleges typically expect their students to communicate and contribute to class, whereas public college professors teaching a large class in a lecture hall have fewer expectations for participation.
Christian colleges often present an ideal setting for students seeking spiritual growth alongside academic growth. Many Christian colleges provide spiritual direction in the form of accountability groups, Bible studies, chapel services, prayer times, spiritual mentors and opportunities for involvement with local churches. Within the classroom, professors at many Christian colleges have a willingness to discuss the spiritual or religious side of a debate and often present standard secular teaching while opening the classroom for serious, open discussion on religious implications or rebuttals.
Not every student at a Christian college has high moral standards, but generally speaking, most students have some level of commitment for staying out of trouble. Many Christian colleges require their students to sign some sort of community code of ethics, which often includes restrictions on drinking or other reckless behaviors and have consequences for students who break a rule they signed their name to. Some public universities have strict policies as well, but due to larger student populations and looser admissions policies, public universities face a more difficult enforcement issue.