Colorado Christian University

CCU's heritage dates back to the formation of Denver Bible Institute in 1914. By 1919 the institute had grown immensely, and the first permanent home location was purchased by Denver businessmen. In 1945, Denver Bible Institute was granted a state charter to become a four-year Bible college known as Denver Bible College. Expansion continued with the formulation of three main academic schools, including the college of liberal arts, the theological school, and the Bible institute. Denver Bible College became Rockmont College in 1949. [ 4 ] In 1981, Rockmont College was awarded accreditation by the North Central Association . [ 5 ] It became Colorado Christian College after merging four years later with Western Bible College, known as Western Bible Institute before becoming a college in the 1970s. [ 4 ] Colorado Christian College merged with Colorado Baptist University, in 1989, to become what is now Colorado Christian University. [ 5 ] CCU hosts the Western Conservative Summit in conjunction with their think tank The Centennial Institute. [ 6 ]

The main campus of Colorado Christian University is located near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Lakewood, Colorado , a suburb 10 miles (16 km) west of Denver . The Lakewood campus houses CCU's college of undergraduate studies for traditional students as well as options for married student housing and graduate students. The university's college of adult and graduate studies has regional learning centers throughout Colorado: Denver Tech Center and Global Online Center ( Englewood ), Lakewood Center ( Lakewood ) Northern Colorado Regional Center ( Loveland ), Southern Colorado Regional Center ( Colorado Springs ), Sterling Center at Northeastern Junior College ( Sterling ), Western Colorado Regional Center ( Grand Junction ). [ 7 ] Leprino Hall In 2002, CCU began searching for a new campus near Ken Caryl, Colorado , after attempting to develop their Foothills Campus near Morrison, Colorado . [ 8 ] [ 9 ] For over 40 years, CCU held classes on the 53-acre site, which the university shared with Christian radio station KWBI (later purchased by K-Love ). Plans failed to rezone additional property at the site for future use, and it has since been abandoned and demolished. Campus renovation Colorado Christian University is currently undergoing a major campus renovation of their Lakewood, Colorado location. [ 10 ] The renovation is scheduled to take 7–9 years to complete at a cost of over $120 million. [ 11 ] In 2012, former CCU President William Armstrong spearheaded the campus renovation project. [ 12 ] The university created the Armstrong Legacy initiative as an effort to secure $30.2 million for the Armstrong Center, and $19.2 million for our second new academic building. An additional $50 million will also be pursued to provide a new endowment fund for need-based student scholarships. [ 12 ] The new academic building, Leprino Hall, was opened in Fall 2014. This building is the first of the CCU renovation.

The 43,000 square foot building cost $30 million to build and was completed in the summer of 2014. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] CCU opened a new residence hall to students in August 2015. The new housing has been named "Yetter Hall" after the president of Rockmont College from 1954 to 1963, Archie Yetter. [ 15 ] The residence hall houses around 300 students in 53 apartment units. Each unit includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, full sized kitchen, and washer and dryers. [ 16 ] Anschutz Student Center On August 24, 2017, the Anschutz Student Center opened. [ 17 ] It is located at the center of CCU's campus and has 55,000 square feet of space, including food services, offices, and a gym. The Anschutz Student Center's upper floor is a hangout space for students and includes a game room, along with Student Life and Student Activities offices. The main floor of the student center has a canteen. The Great Room is available for different gatherings of students and visitors on campus. [ 18 ] Dedicated August 21, 2019, Rockmont Hall is the second new residence hall constructed as part of the university's campus redevelopment campaign. The 115,000-square-foot facility is named in honor of one of CCU's heritage institutions. Fundraising is currently underway for the Armstrong Center. The facility will serve as the backbone of the academic quad; it will house the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics, the Clifton Fowler Library, and the university's first dedicated chapel space; and allow the School of Music to return to the heart of campus. Future plans also include the construction of a second dedicated academic building.

The university comprises two colleges: the college of undergraduate studies and the college of adult and graduate studies. CCU offers over 100 degree programs as well as licensure and certification programs. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission . It is also a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities , [ 19 ] the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities , [ 20 ] and the Council for Independent Colleges. [ 21 ] The college of undergraduate studies offers 30 academic majors as well as 37 minors. The college of undergraduate studies provides academic programs for traditional undergraduate students and also offers off-campus study opportunities through the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities' Best Semester Program, [ 22 ] and Jerusalem University College [ 23 ] in Israel. The college of adult and graduate studies offers undergraduate degree completion, educator licensing, and certificate programs for working professionals. The college offers master's degrees and graduate certificate programs. [ 24 ] Students may take courses through the College of Adult and Graduate Studies Centers throughout Colorado or through the college's Global Online Center. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the school has an open enrollment admissions policy; [ 25 ] however, applicants are required to present a "strong spiritual recommendation" from a pastor, youth pastor, or "spiritual mentor", which can speak to their "Christian testimony and growth". [ 26 ] Rankings In the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking , Colorado Christian University ranked 68th in Regional Universities West, with an overall score of 38/100. [ 27 ]