This fall, Grace College, Winona Lake, Ind., welcomed 1,625 undergraduate students and more than 400 graduate and seminary students, including Deploy – Grace’s new, contemporary seminary program launched in January. Many undergraduate students are pursuing newly created bachelor degrees including mechanical engineering, agribusiness, and digital marketing. Dozens are enrolled in Grace’s new BSN program in partnership with Bethel College. They will train in newly designed simulation labs equipped with the latest in nursing education technology. Hundreds of students will attend science and mathematics classes in the brand-new Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex, the $8.5 million state of the art facility opened in August.
“This is a year of new beginnings at Grace College,” said Dr. Bill Katip, president of Grace College & Seminary. “We’re excited to welcome returning students as well as freshmen who are among the first college students born in the new millennium. It’s our goal to provide a Christ-centered college experience second-to-none that will launch these students into a purposeful and impactful adult life.”
Grace College’s 2018-2019 campus theme is “Origins.” Throughout the year, many guest speakers, students, faculty and staff will share their origin story with others on campus. The theme will carry through to chapel, where students gather three times a week to worship and grow spiritually. In chapel, students will connect with stories in Genesis – God’s origin story.
“Focusing on each other’s stories as well as God’s overarching story will help us pursue the welcoming, connected community we all desire at Grace,” said Dr. Katip.
Grace is also experiencing tremendous success in student retention and graduation rates. Freshman to sophomore retention is 84 percent, over 12 percentage points above the national average of comparable, four-year private colleges[1]. About 65 percent of Grace students graduate in four years, compared to 38.5 percent of all Hoosier college students[2]. In addition, more than 25 percent of students at Grace College complete their bachelor’s degree in just three years, thanks to the accelerated degree program offered in 70-plus majors, saving students a full quarter off of college tuition and fees plus the added earning power of entering the workforce a year early. More students than ever before have enrolled in the blended degree program, earning their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in four years at no additional cost to undergraduate tuition.
“We’re heartened by these statistics and inspired to stay the course,” Katip said. “It is our continual aim to provide excellent and affordable Christian education characterized by innovation and real-world preparation. We look forward to a terrific year ahead.”
[1] ACT 2017 National Collegiate Retention and Persistence-to-Degree Rates
[2] Indiana Commission for Higher Education 2018 College Readiness Report