CCU Ranked in Top 2% of Colleges Nationwide by ACTA
CCU One of Two Colorado Colleges to Earn "A" Rating
For the 10th consecutive year, Colorado Christian University, the flagship Christian liberal arts university in the Rocky Mountain Region, earned an "A" rating in the annual "What Will They Learn" report from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). To receive an "A" from ACTA's Council of Scholars, a school must require students to complete coursework in at least six of seven essential liberal arts and science disciplines, including composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural science.
"At Colorado Christian University, we are committed to prioritizing a robust general education to prepare our graduates for their futures. Students need basic literacy in these core subjects. The curriculum that ACTA says colleges and universities must require delivers a basic literacy for citizenship that is so necessary in our time," said Dr. Donald W. Sweeting, CCU president. "CCU delivers this and more. We also require courses in Western civilization and Bible. Building on this core, students then pursue their major and other electives."
CCU was one of only 24 universities out of 1,133 to earn a top grade for its rigorous core curriculum nationwide and one of only two in the state of Colorado, along with the United States Air Force Academy.
"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker currently holds 10 jobs before age 40, and this number is projected to grow. Forrester Research predicts that today's youngest workers will hold 12-15 jobs in their lifetime. If a student only pursues one area of specialization in college and does not get a strong general education base, they will be unprepared for the dynamic market they are about to enter," Sweeting said. "CCU graduates have such a strong advantage — they have learning tools to last a lifetime. And that is why I am so grateful for ACTA's strong advocacy for a rigorous general education program."
Schools that receive the highest ACTA rating must be committed to a well-constructed, rigorous core curriculum, teaching excellence, mentoring, research opportunities, reading groups, and support for extracurricular learning opportunities.
"Our core programs and requirements ensure that traditional students who earn a degree from CCU are well-rounded, critical thinkers who are well prepared to be successful in anything they pursue," said Dr. Janet Black, vice president of Academic Affairs for the College of Undergraduate Studies. "The ACTA rating is one more way CCU continues to be recognized for its academic excellence, outstanding faculty, and commitment to a high-quality liberal arts education."
CCU was named the fifth-fastest-growing college or university in the nonprofit, master's degree-granting category in The Chronicle of Higher Education's Almanac of Higher Education for the sixth consecutive year in 2021. CCU was also recently named the No. 19 undergraduate teaching university and the No. 61 overall regional university in the West in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 "Best Colleges" rankings.