The University of Valley Forge (UVF) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...

near

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Phoenixville is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek (Schuylkill River tributary), French Creek an ...

, and from

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site and interprets ...

. It is affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA. The college, in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

, is partially in Charlestown Township, while the other part is in Schuylkill Township. It has a Phoenixville postal address.

History

The University of Valley Forge began as a summer Bible School on the campgrounds of Maranatha Park in Green Lane, Pennsylvania, in 1932. It existed for the training of pastors, evangelists,

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Miss ...

, Christian education workers, and lay workers. The summer Bible School grew into a permanent Bible School and, in 1939, was chartered as Eastern Bible Institute. Mergers with the Beulah Heights Bible Institute, Metropolitan Bible Institute, New England Bible Institute, and Pine Crest Bible School resulted in increased enrollment and a name change to Northeast Bible Institute in 1962. The school received its accreditation from the state in 1975 and subsequently became the Northeast Bible College. The institute moved in 1976 to the campus of the former Valley Forge Army Hospital in Phoenixville. One year later, the school changed its name to reflect its new location, becoming the Valley Forge Christian College. In the summer of 2002, the college was granted accreditation with

Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education, is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...

. Valley Forge Christian College then officially changed its name to the University of Valley Forge on September 16, 2014. Today the school has an enrollment of 583 students (including 508 undergraduate students) and offers 40+ undergraduate programs and ten graduate programs.

Academics

The University of Valley Forge is authorized by the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to grant the degrees of Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Religious Education, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, Associate of Arts, and Associate of Science.

Athletics

UVF teams, known as the Patriots, compete at the Division III level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA). The university joined the Colonial States Athletic Conference in the 2020-2021 academic year. UVF then became a member of the United East Conference after the pre-existing UEC and CSAC merged in 2023. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Intramural golf and cross country are also offered as club sports.

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1931 Universities and colleges affiliated with the Assemblies of God Universities and colleges in Chester County, Pennsylvania 1931 establishments in Pennsylvania Private universities and colleges in Pennsylvania Council for Christian Colleges and Universities