Get a free copy of Parental Rights & Education when you subscribe to our newsletter!
Throughout the years, Liberty University has seen tremendous changes, including stellar growth in its accredited academic programs, monumental achievements by nationally ranked Flames NCAA and club athletic teams, and a nearly $1 billion campus transformation project that is still ongoing today. Yet during all these changes, one thing has remained the same over the past 50 years at Liberty University: Its commitment to excellence in training the next generation of Christian leaders through faith-based education.
Here are 10 important reasons (counting backwards to No. 1) why potential students should consider Liberty University:
10.) Commitment to Superior Christian Education
Liberty’s reputation as the largest Christian institution of higher learning in the world is backed by its varied and high-quality academic programs. Liberty offers more than 350 nationally accredited degree programs residentially in aeronautics, business, divinity, communication & the arts, education, engineering, government, law, nursing, osteopathic medicine, and many more! Liberty University also offers more than 600 degrees online, and while over 16,000 students enjoy classes residentially, more than 100,000 students enjoy the flexibility and convenience of online education through Liberty University Online (LUO).
9.) Intercollegiate Athletic Competition at the Highest Level
Our founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., once said that he envisioned Liberty one day becoming for evangelicals what “Brigham Young is for Mormons and Notre Dame is for Catholics” in the context of college athletics. From the beginning, a stellar athletics program has been a core element of Liberty’s vision, and today, Liberty has 20 NCAA Division I athletic teams, over 40 club sports teams, and more than 20 intramural sports opportunities. In recent years, Liberty athletic teams have made a splash on the national scene, with the men’s basketball team beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 1st round of the 2019 NCAA “March Madness” men’s basketball tournament; the men’s football team going 3-1 in bowl games since moving to the FBS level over the past four seasons; the women’s Division I ice hockey team winning five straight national championships; and the women’s field hockey team advancing to the final round of the field hockey national championship against Northwestern in 2021. In addition, both the Club Sports and NCAA Division I student-athletes earn consistently high GPAs, validating Liberty’s strong commitment to academic excellence even through the rigor of competitive athletics.
8.) Biblically Based & Conservative Student Clubs
The university’s Student Government Association offers a variety of clubs in which students can apply their Christian faith in key areas and engage with their peers. This includes allowing Liberty students the ability to apply their values to important issues in their culture, such as attending the annual March for Life in Washington D.C; doing sidewalk advocacy to help encourage pregnant mothers to choose life instead of abortion; and hearing presentations from distinguished guests about the importance of freedom around the world.
7.) Campus Recreation
Liberty University’s 7,000-acre campus is also home to a number of unforgettable indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities, including the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, the nation’s only ski facility open year-round; the state-of-the-art LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center; dozens of miles of outdoor trails along the Liberty Mountain Trail System; and the scenic Hydaway Outdoor Center, which is open during the Fall and Spring semesters, for members of the university community looking to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
6.) Christian Integration
Liberty professors incorporate Scripture and principles of the Christian faith into each class, presenting these concepts through in-class lectures and empowering students to apply Biblical worldview concepts in their coursework. Furthermore, Liberty University maintains a student-to-professor ratio of 18:1, facilitating the development of important relationships and mentorship opportunities that can tremendously impact the lives of students.
5.) The Standing for Freedom Center
Conveniently located on Liberty’s campus, the Standing for Freedom Center is a think tank dedicated to advocating for the application of Biblical principles in the context of constitutional liberties. It also offers students a unique opportunity to culturally engage and apply their Christian faith to important issues affecting our society today, such as abortion, parental rights in education, the purpose of government, and what the Constitution actually says about separation of church and state, as well as to participate in civic engagement at all levels through voting, being informed, and understanding what God’s Word says about these respective issues.
4.) Second Amendment Sanctuary Campus
Additionally, Liberty stands out as a campus that honors and respects Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Through the Liberty University Police Department (LUPD), the university allows students, faculty, staff, and visitors to conceal carry a firearm while on campus, provided they have a permit to do so. It also provides concealed carry courses, as well as secure storage for weapons. The Liberty Mountain Gun Club, just a few minutes from campus behind Liberty Mountain, is a full-service shooting facility that is open to members of the Liberty community and offers a series of shooting opportunities for all skill levels on three different ranges: pistol, rifle, and archery.
3.) Convocation
Twice a week, Liberty hosts Convocation, the world’s largest gathering of Christian students. Students have the opportunity to hear from dozens of incredible speakers and leaders in different fields who will enrich students’ faith and challenge their perspectives. Featured Convocation speakers this year include the Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, ESPN college football analyst David Pollack, Christian author Rosario Butterfield, and acclaimed Christian music star TobyMac (who is also a Liberty University alumnus).
2.) Spiritual Life & Christian Service Opportunities
Liberty’s Office of Spiritual Development offers programs through LU Serve and LU Send, which provide meaningful service opportunities for students to be the hands and feet of Christ in the community. These programs give Liberty students the ability to learn, grow, and serve in the local and other U.S. communities as well as through international encounters and meaningful global outreach trips. Through these programs, Liberty students serve more than 500,000 volunteer-hours per year. Additionally, each residential student at Liberty receives ongoing discipleship through weekly prayer and Bible study meetings led by Resident Shepherds and Community Group Leaders in their residence halls, while similar discipleship activities are available for off-campus students, as well as student athletes.
Standing out as the most important reason why students should attend Liberty University is its commitment to be the No. 1 conservative Christian university in America. Amid a growing secular climate that seeks to exclude God, Liberty University stands out as an alternative that celebrates the implementation of the Christian faith in higher education and maintains a consistent commitment to important Biblical perspectives, such as parental authority in education, the sanctity of life, and God’s design for marriage and family. This is a goal that has remained unchanging throughout the university’s more than 50 years of existence. Dr. Falwell understood the need to build and establish such a university that would “Train the next generation of Young Champions for Christ in every imaginable vocation, who would take the Christian worldview and Gospel in the marketplace, the ministry and all of America, and would oppose political liberalism and economic socialism in favor of the Judeo-Christian ethic and political conservatism.”
Liberty University stands as a beacon of hope in the landscape of higher education, steadfast in its unwavering commitment to Biblical truth and academic excellence. Where other institutions of higher education don’t find it “relevant,” Liberty University celebrates the reality that “No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is in Jesus Christ,” stated clearly in 1 Corinthians 3:11. As a Christian visionary, Dr. Falwell understood this, and his vision laid the groundwork for a truly world-class Christian university that remains faithful to Biblical truth, politically conservative values, academic excellence, and offering unforgettable opportunities to students both in and outside the classroom in the midst of decades of societal change.
If you would like more information on attending Liberty University in person or online, go to: liberty.edu/lp/standing-for-freedom.
