News

Why America’s Christian Colleges Are Pursuing Chinese Students

Schools see both revenue and mission opportunities.

AFP / Getty

Ivy League schools have long lured Chinese students to America, exchanging prestige for full-tuition payments. Now Christian colleges are increasingly angling for their own share.

Luckily the pool of potential students is growing—aided not only by China's booming churches, but also by widespread dissatisfaction with its schools.

Many Chinese parents are increasingly aware that a technical education alone won't ensure a prosperous future, said Brent Fulton, president of China Source. And as more Chinese enter the middle class, they gain the means to send their only child to an American liberal-arts school.

That's where some Christian colleges, including Oklahoma Christian University, Michigan's Cornerstone University, and Indiana's Huntington University, see their niche. They aim to follow the example of Alabama's Samford University and Texas's University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB). Both Baptist schools have sent admissions counselors to college expos in China in recent years and have accepted hundreds of students.

Small schools might not be able to compete with Harvard or Stanford in overall rankings or degree programs, said Rick Ostrander, provost at Cornerstone. But they do appeal to the growing number of Chinese students who desire Christian community (or at least a moral environment) along with an American education.

"Being able to speak the language of education that shapes the whole person . . . is increasingly going to resonate with [Chinese students]," Ostrander said. "But as a private, tuition-driven institution, there's a practical benefit for us as well in recruiting students who [don't have to be] heavily scholarshipped."

Christian schools are taking differing approaches to their marketing. Cornerstone is emphasizing how its required core classes foster creativity and critical thinking. Huntington highlights artistic degrees that aren't widely available in China, such as film and graphic design.

The best approach is to establish a recruiting office in mainland China, said Myron Youngman, president of the Kaifa Group, which consults with Christian ministries seeking to engage China. This shows parents a sense of staying power and presence. Thus far, only Ohio's Cedarville University has attempted this.

UMHB developed its strategy through existing Chinese staff members' relationships. Of the 257 students accepted since the school amped up its China efforts in 2011, 104 have enrolled.

Other colleges are in the early stages and admit they have significant marketing work to do.

In any case, Youngman said, colleges can't just hire an agent to translate existing promotional material and expect a stream of applicants. The most successful efforts will master the art of branding themselves well to Chinese culture. For example, many Chinese may not equate a Christian education with the academically rigorous one they desire.

"There is rarely an understanding of integration—the teaching of all subjects with the understanding that all truth is God's truth," Youngman said.

That's an evangelistic goal for Huntington as well as an educational one, said Jeff Berggren, senior vice president of enrollment management and marketing. Because his school does not require faith commitments from incoming students, he hopes that non-Christian Chinese students will apply and be exposed to Christianity.

At Cornerstone, where students are required to sign a statement of faith, Ostrander sees it differently.

"Our interest is more in providing education for the growing community of Chinese believers," he said. "For us, it's a matter of recognizing that the next Christendom . . . is in the global East and global South, and we want to do what we can to . . . be a player in the global growth of the church."

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Cover Story

Chaos and Grace in the Slums of the Earth

Prodigal Love: What to Do When Family or Friends Have Rejected Jesus

Review

Taking Care of Busyness

A Front-Row Seat to African Faith

Editorial

Hungry for Outrage

Letters to the Editor

Should Yoga be Banned from Public Schools as a Religious Activity?

God's Word in Two Words

Testimony

Forgiving the Man Who Murdered My Mom

Worship con Queso

Why We Need Small Towns

The Gospel of Small for an Oversized Church

To Tame the World

N.T. Wright Wants to Save the Best Worship Songs

Review

Faith Outside the Bubble

Wilson's Bookmarks

New & Noteworthy Books

Excerpt

Conversion or Death

News

The Hope Dealers of Honduras

News

Gleanings: September 2013

News

Passages: September 2013

News

Go Figure: September 2013

News

Quotation Marks: September 2013

The Wars Over Christian Beards

News

Game Changer: Pastors Blame Kids' Sports for Attendance Dips

My Top 5 Books on The Body

News

Counting the Cost (Accurately)

News

Should Pastors Rebuke Parishioners from the Pulpit?

View issue

Our Latest

News

Investigation to Look at 82 Years of Missionary School Abuse

Adult alumni “commanded a seat at the table” to negotiate for full inquiry.

News

Western North Carolina’s Weary Hearts Rejoice for Christmas

The holiday isn’t the same with flooded tree farms and damaged churches from Helene, but locals find cheer in recovery.

News

In Italy, Evangelicals Wage a Quiet War on Christmas

Born-again Christians say the holiday is too Catholic and the celebration of Jesus’ birth isn’t based on the Bible.

The Bulletin

Exalting Every Valley with Charles King

The Bulletin welcomes historian Charles King for a conversation with Clarissa Moll about the modern relevance of Handel’s Messiah

News

After Assad: Jihad or Liberty?

A coalition of rebel fighters promises to respect Syria’s religious minorities.

In the Divided Balkans, Evangelicals Are Tiny in Number, but Mighty

A leading Serbian researcher discusses how evangelicals have made a tangible difference.

Chick-fil-A Launches an App to Help Families Be Less Online

It offers the wholesome, values-centered content Christians expect from the closed-on-Sundays chain, but does the platform undercut its message?

Egypt’s Redemption—and Ours

The flight of the holy family is more than a historical curiosity. It points us toward the breadth and beauty of God’s redemption.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube