A Look at Adventist Colleges and Universities

On the outside, Seventh-day Adventist universities may not look much different than other college campuses. But the real differences are beneath the surface.

Adventist Universities are all about helping each student have a fulfilling educational journey on a Christ-centered campus. Lifelong friendships are forged. Pivotal career decisions are made. And the supportive spiritual environment can help students grow in immeasurable ways.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes Adventist universities so loved by both their alumni and their surrounding communities.

• The story of the Adventist college
• What is the mission of Adventist universities?
• Why would someone choose an Adventist university?
• Adventist universities in East-Central Africa

We’ll start with some history.

The story of the Adventist college

Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.

The first Adventist college was born in 1874 with Battle Creek College in Michigan, USA (present-day Andrews University). The Adventist Church was exceptionally committed to quality education, especially coming out of a time when the United States was more industrially focused than scholastically focused.

These campuses also provided a place to formally train pastors and teachers, as well as other professions that were in high demand for mission service.

A few years later, Pacific Union College’s forefather, Healdsburg College, opened in 1882 in California, USA.

This was closely followed by the Battle Creek College Training School for Nurses within the Battle Creek Sanitarium, which spurred the development of Adventist nursing schools, hospitals, and eventually, medical schools.

In 1895, the Sanitarium began the first Adventist medical school, American Medical Missionary College.

In 1893, Claremont Union College in South Africa became the first Adventist college outside the United States. Soon after, Adventist universities opened in Australia, South America, and Europe, respectively.

Today, Adventist universities have blossomed everywhere. There are currently 117 Adventist colleges dotting the globe including nine in the East-Central Africa Division,¹forming the second-largest Christian school network in the world.²

What is the mission of Adventist universities?

Originally, Adventist education began with the purpose of training denominational workers and providing children with a higher quality education than was typically available at the time.³

Today, the goal isn’t much different: Adventist universities equip students with the necessary skills for today’s workforce, while also teaching them how their faith can be woven into everything they aspire to do.

Adventists believe that education is key when it comes to being good stewards of our minds and our talents. This echoes the Bible’s emphasis that pursuing knowledge and getting to know God goes hand in hand (Proverbs 9:10).

With this in mind, Adventist colleges operated with an emphasis on each student being a unique individual with God-given gifts.⁴ Students were to be encouraged to use the abilities God gave them, so they can become cheerful contributors to their communities.

That’s why Adventist universities provide a well-rounded education to promote spiritual, mental, physical, and social health, intellectual growth, and service.⁵
Along with serving, Adventist universities promote excellence, intelligence, engagement, and community. All these support the umbrella of faith, to best equip students to relay the gospel to the world.⁶

And if anyone is considering a career in health care, an Adventist university can be a terrific fit due to the special emphasis Adventists place on the need for caring, quality medical care.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific reasons people choose Adventist colleges.

Why would someone choose an Adventist university?

Photo by Keira Burton

A number of things set Adventist universities and colleges apart.

• Variety of quality programs: Adventist universities offer competitive programs in a wide range of majors—both undergraduate and graduate.
• Diversity: Attracting students from all over the world causes Adventist campuses to be diverse places, which can enrich the educational experience. As of 2018, Andrews University in the United States ranked #1 in campus ethnic diversity. That year, 20% of their students came from other countries.¹² Adventist universities in Africa tend to also be diverse in that they’re intercontinental, attracting students from many different countries within Africa. Adventists are not the only students who attend, either. In some cases, the schools even have more non-Adventist than Adventist attendees. For example, the Adventist University of Central Africa (Rwanda) had 2,530 non-Adventist students and 1,024 Adventist students in December of 2021.⁷

Photo by Wallace Chuck

• Close-knit campuses: Adventist colleges tend to have a smaller student body. Their schools in East-Central Africa range from 79 students (Adventist University of Central Africa) to 4,948 (University of Eastern Africa Baraton).⁸ Compare this to the numbers of all other African universities, such as the University of Nairobi, which had 36,251 students in the school year of 2022-2023.⁹ Students at large universities can feel like just a number, while smaller universities help students feel like a meaningful part of the community.

• Biblical emphasis: Throughout all parts of the college experience, students learn how the Bible can be part of every aspect of their lives. This is even woven into the class structure. It’s common for professors to offer prayer before class and sometimes share a Bible text or relevant devotional thought.

How can I attend an Adventist university?

Attending an Adventist university is relatively easy. You don’t have to worry about a massive number of students also applying for the same program.

A quick search can tell you which Adventist university is closest to you, or you can look up several of them to see which ones have the programs you’re interested in. You can schedule a visit first, or you can dive right into the application process.

Yes, Adventist schools are private institutions and tend to have a heftier price tag. However, most schools offer scholarships to help ease the financial burden. Other financial aid is also available. Be sure to check out what each Adventist university offers.

Adventist universities in East-Central Africa

In the East-Central Africa Division, nine universities and colleges serve their students. These are:

• Adventist University of Africa, Kenya
• Adventist University of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo
• Adventist University of Central Africa, Rwanda
• Adventist University of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
• Bugema University, Uganda
• Ethiopia Adventist College, Ethiopia
• University of Eastern Africa Baraton, Kenya
• Adventist University of Lukanga, Democratic Republic of Congo
• The University of Arusha, Tanzania

The church also operates a number of other universities around the world:

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