Kuyper College is a ministry-focused

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

leadership college in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is th ...

that educates and trains Christian leaders for ministry and service. Through the integration of an academic curriculum and a Reformed worldview, they provide students who desire a biblical and academic college experience with the opportunity to live life through the filter of scripture.

History

Kuyper College was founded in 1939 as Reformed Bible Institute. RBI had a three-year curriculum that offered a track into foreign and domestic missions. In 1970, after a five-year redesign of the curriculum and programs, the

Michigan Department of Education The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is a state agency of Michigan, in the United States. The MDE oversees public school districts in the state. The department is governed by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education was ...

gave the school the right to confer a four-year

Bachelor degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...

. As a result, RBI changed its name to Reformed Bible College. On April 21, 2006, RBC once again changed its name, this time to Kuyper College after

Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper (; ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist theologian and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which u ...

(1837 - 1920). Kuyper was Prime Minister of The Netherlands from 1901 - 1905 and a theologian. He also played an important role in founding de

Vrije Universiteit The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research ...

. Pre-seminary, youth ministry, and cross-cultural missions programs are part of the Bible curriculum, and social work, education, accounting, communication, business and other majors.

Academics

Kuyper is focused on Christian service regardless of vocation, so it not only offers ministry programs, but a range of degree programs in social work, business, communication, education, and many others all within a Reformed perspective. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11 to 1. In the 2013-2014 school year, 261 students total were enrolled at Kuyper. In 2015, there are 245 students total.

Accreditation

Kuyper is approved and regulated by the

Board of Education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional ar ...

of the State of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. It is also accredited by the

Association for Biblical Higher Education The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), formerly The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) is an evangelical Christian organization of bible colleges in the United States and Canada. It is a member of the International Co ...

(ABHE), and the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Io ...

(HLC). In addition, the college social work program is accredited with the

Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...

(CSWE). The college is a member of the National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel (NACCAP), and has endorsed that body's “Principles of Good Practice.” Kuyper holds affiliate membership within the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a global organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C. History In 1976, presidents of colleges in the Christian College Co ...

Sources

*Grand Rapids Press, Friday, April 21, 2006

External links

Official website
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Kent County, Michigan Liberal arts colleges in Michigan Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church Educational institutions established in 1939 Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan 1939 establishments in Michigan Private universities and colleges in Michigan