<p>Lately, I have been reading up on both colleges mentioned in the title; I have mixed feelings about Liberty University. Is it respected academically? Do I have a good chance at getting into a grad program somewhere else if I obtain my undergrad from Liberty? </p>
<p>However, Wheaton College seems to be very respected and has even garnered the name the IV League of Christian Colleges by many in academia. Does anybody have a comment on either colleges. Is Liberty a school that I should stay away from or is it actually worth considering? Does anybody have anything to say regarding Wheaton College?</p>
<p>Several kids from my kids’ high school (a Christian 6-12 school in MA) have gone to Wheaton. If you’re looking at Christian colleges, you can’t do much better than that. It is known for its strong liberal arts tradition, whereas Liberty, at least by reputation, tends to be more fundamentalist. I think a degree from Wheaton would be more respected by grad schools.</p>
<p>Have you visited the schools? Fit is important, too, and if you like Liberty better, you should consider it. You may also want to look at Calvin College, another top Christian school that is also very popular among graduates from my kids’ high school.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Liberty but Wheaton in Illinois is considered the top dog of christian colleges. My daughter goes to Gordon in MA, another excellent christian college, but Wheaton is generally considered the best one in its class. I know a few graduates from Wheaton and at least one who’s currently attending. All loved the place. You really can’t do better if you’re looking for a Christian school in the midwest.</p>
<p>Wheaton and Calvin are hands down the best evangelical colleges in the US.
Liberty isn’t. It’s not well-respected at all academically (many grad schools won’t really look at your credentials).
If you want a conservative, evangelical small college, look into Grove City College, or John Brown university. Both are well-respected, certainly more than Liberty, even if they don’t have the reputation Wheaton and Calvin have. You may also be interested in Hope College in Michigan, Gordon in MA, or Wofford in SC.</p>
<p>Aside from both being Protestant Christian colleges, Liberty and Wheaton are totally different schools in fit, so see which type you are looking for and then look for “similar” colleges. </p>
<p>Wheaton is a small LAC with relatively high SAT/ACT scores needed for admission. They are moderate to conservative belief-wise. They are not known for much in merit aid, but can be decent with need-based aid (not always, but can be).</p>
<p>Liberty is a big University with relatively low SAT/ACT scores needed for admission, but I’ve no idea how their scores would compare if they were similarly sized. They are very conservative belief-wise. They can give good merit aid for high scores and are moderate with need-based aid.</p>
<p>Either can get you into grad school or professional schools. We’ve had students go to both and be quite happy + successful at each.</p>
<p>Others you might want to consider would include:</p>
<p>More conservative (how much varies):</p>
<p>Grove City
Cedarville
Covenant
Geneva
Patrick Henry (check whether they got accredited or not, but graduates have been doing well)
Biola
Bryan</p>
<p>More moderate (how much varies):</p>
<p>Pepperdine
Messiah
Taylor
Baylor
Eastern</p>
<p>There are plenty of others… these are just some that come to mind based upon feedback from students and/or parents. </p>
<p>Was there a certain fit you were looking for?</p>
<p>Wheaton in IL or MA? I live in Wheaton, il, and it’s really boring here. Also, don’t go to Wheaton unless you are religious; but I’m assuming you are since you applied? Because that’s all anyone ever thinks about here: church. The only good thing about living here is that you have access to the train to go to Chicago. As you can tell, I’m not a fan of this town or the college.</p>