The first MinistryWatch database curated list for September is the 50 largest Christian colleges and universities by total revenue. The rankings are based on database information as of Aug. 28, 2026.
The list should not be interpreted as a ranking of recommended ministries. The colleges are ranked strictly by total revenue — not by effectiveness, financial efficiency, or any other measure.
The MinistryWatch database now includes 166 colleges and universities, up from 138 last year. Total revenue among colleges in this category exceeded $21.5 billion. All of the top 50 colleges by revenue file a Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.
Grand Canyon University once again topped the list with $2 billion in total revenue. Liberty University followed closely with $1.9 billion, and Baylor University took third place with total revenue of about $1.6 billion.
- There were three new entrants in the top 10: Chapman University in California (No. 4), Belmont University in Tennessee (No. 6) and Mercer University in Georgia (No. 8).
- Other additions to the list include Trinity University, St. Olaf College, Hope College, Pensacola Christian College and William Carey University.
- The new additions caused some shuffling among the rankings, and a few changes were notable: Taylor University dropped from No. 18 to No. 33, and Grove City College dropped from No. 20 to No. 49.
- Several colleges fell out of the top 50: Bob Jones University, Union University, Gardner-Webb University, Dordt University, and Vanguard University of Southern California.
- California Baptist University was again the largest recipient of government grants, according to its Form 990, taking in $51.9 million — more than 10% of its total revenue.
- Mercer University followed, receiving nearly $47 million in government grants.
- Only six colleges in the top 50 reported no government grants: Hillsdale College, Pensacola Christian College, College of the Ozarks, Moody Bible Institute, University of Northwestern-St. Paul, and Grove City College.
To learn more about these institutions, click on the college’s name and read its complete MinistryWatch profile.
If you would like to know more about our Financial Efficiency Rating, click here. If you would like to know more about our Transparency Grades, click here. To learn what is included in the Donor Confidence Score, click here.
| Ranking | Last Year | Organization name | CEO | Total revenue | ECFA | Rating | Transp | DCS | State | Latest | Government grants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Grand Canyon University | Brian Mueller | $2,009,925,571 | No | 5 | D | 70 | AZ | 2025 | $4,209,723 | |
| 2 | 2 | Liberty University | Dondi Costin | $1,939,920,591 | No | 2 | D | 54 | VA | 2025 | $7,880,637 | |
| 3 | 3 | Baylor University | Linda A. Livingstone | $1,558,351,465 | No | 1 | C | 36 | TX | 2025 | $14,183,018 | |
| 4 | NA | Chapman University | Matthew Parlow | $757,765,974 | No | 1 | C | 48 | CA | 2025 | $16,418,856 | |
| 5 | 4 | Pepperdine University | James Gash | $755,116,691 | No | 1 | D | 30 | CA | 2025 | $5,155,040 | |
| 6 | NA | Belmont University | L. Gregory Jones | $579,470,406 | No | 1 | D | 46 | TN | 2025 | $3,274,332 | |
| 7 | 5 | High Point University | Nido Qubein | $501,892,632 | No | 2 | D | 40 | NC | 2025 | $13,365,843 | |
| 8 | NA | Mercer University | Penny Elkins | $484,697,995 | No | 5 | D | 56 | GA | 2025 | $46,802,160 | |
| 9 | 6 | California Baptist University | Ronald L. Ellis | $482,651,024 | No | 5 | D | 65 | CA | 2025 | $51,964,319 | |
| 10 | 7 | Hillsdale College | Larry P. Arnn | $423,688,130 | No | 1 | D | 30 | MI | 2025 | ||
| 11 | 9 | Samford University | Beck A. Taylor | $370,563,617 | No | 4 | D | 64 | AL | 2025 | $2,855,664 | |
| 12 | NA | Trinity University | Vanessa Beasley | $350,520,667 | No | 1 | D | 46 | TX | 2025 | $8,143,516 | |
| 13 | NA | St. Olaf College | Susan Rundell Singer | $333,072,638 | No | 2 | D | 46 | MN | 2025 | $4,377,998 | |
| 14 | 8 | Abilene Christian University | Phil Schubert | $325,477,224 | No | 1 | D | 43 | TX | 2025 | $6,902,285 | |
| 15 | 10 | Lipscomb University | Candice McQueen | $272,059,219 | No | 3 | D | 65 | TN | 2025 | $3,382,235 | |
| 16 | 12 | Indiana Wesleyan University | Jonathan Kulaga | $269,090,976 | Yes | 4 | C | 67 | IN | 2025 | $4,447,796 | |
| 17 | 11 | Campbell University | William Downs | $258,344,677 | No | 3 | D | 62 | NC | 2025 | $422,188 | |
| 18 | 13 | Biola University | Barry H. Corey | $257,536,275 | No | 3 | D | 69 | CA | 2025 | $1,039,843 | |
| 19 | 19 | Wheaton College | Philip Ryken | $249,246,344 | No | 1 | D | 39 | IL | 2025 | $4,926,759 | |
| 20 | 15 | Cedarville University | Thomas White | $240,765,832 | No | 5 | D | 71 | OH | 2025 | $1,783,230 | |
| 21 | 14 | Azusa Pacific University | Adam J. Morris | $229,075,412 | No | 3 | D | 55 | CA | 2025 | $9,871,731 | |
| 22 | NA | Hope College | Matthew Scogin | $202,053,889 | No | 3 | C | 60 | MI | 2025 | $5,718,517 | |
| 23 | 17 | Point Loma Nazarene University | Kerry Fulcher | $200,343,026 | Yes | 2 | C | 59 | CA | 2025 | $678,637 | |
| 24 | 16 | Oral Roberts University | William M Wilson | $197,522,074 | Yes | 5 | C | 87 | OK | 2025 | $1,189,349 | |
| 25 | 22 | Regent University | Gordon Robertson | $189,426,241 | Yes | 4 | C | 91 | VA | 2025 | $921,721 | |
| 26 | 24 | Houston Christian University | Sandra Mooney, acting president | $178,518,649 | No | 2 | D | 44 | TX | 2025 | $7,995,445 | |
| 27 | 27 | Dallas Baptist University | Adam C. Wright | $177,563,576 | No | 4 | D | 54 | TX | 2025 | $2,825,303 | |
| 28 | 28 | Anderson University | Evans P Whitaker | $177,419,350 | No | 5 | D | 67 | SC | 2025 | $567,873 | |
| 29 | 26 | George Fox University | Robin Baker | $174,734,012 | No | 3 | D | 71 | OR | 2025 | $909,129 | |
| 30 | 21 | Concordia University - Mequon, WI | Erik Angerberg | $166,327,647 | No | 4 | D | 66 | WI | 2025 | $2,137,022 | |
| 31 | 23 | Palm Beach Atlantic University | Debra Schwinn | $164,036,791 | No | 2 | D | 51 | FL | 2025 | $3,109,839 | |
| 32 | 25 | Colorado Christian University | Eric Hogue | $161,961,271 | Yes | 3 | C | 93 | CO | 2025 | $5,463,019 | |
| 33 | 18 | Taylor University | D. Michael Lindsay | $158,936,145 | Yes | 2 | C | 69 | IN | 2025 | $554,041 | |
| 34 | 33 | Southeastern University | Kent Ingle | $158,849,774 | No | 5 | D | 69 | FL | 2025 | $1,118,684 | |
| 35 | 30 | Messiah University | Kim S Phipps | $155,424,073 | No | 3 | C | 63 | PA | 2025 | $1,307,572 | |
| 36 | NA | Pensacola Christian College | Troy Shoemaker | $151,948,123 | No | 1 | D | 58 | FL | 2025 | ||
| 37 | 43 | Harding University | Mike Williams, Ed.D. | $149,102,305 | No | 3 | D | 56 | AR | 2025 | $1,751,250 | |
| 38 | 37 | Eastern University | Ronald A. Matthews | $146,831,434 | No | 3 | D | 73 | PA | 2025 | $4,296,495 | |
| 39 | 41 | College of the Ozarks | Brad Johnson | $145,882,802 | Yes | 2 | A | 75 | MO | 2025 | ||
| 40 | 39 | Mississippi Christian University | Blake Thompson | $140,448,605 | No | 3 | D | 66 | MS | 2025 | $1,109,158 | |
| 41 | 35 | Bethel University - Minnesota | Ross Allen | $138,482,716 | No | 2 | D | 47 | MN | 2025 | $1,523,737 | |
| 42 | 34 | Ashland University | Carlos Campo | $136,561,683 | No | 5 | D | 64 | OH | 2025 | $2,892,085 | |
| 43 | 31 | Seattle Pacific University | Deana Porterfield | $136,323,721 | No | 3 | D | 57 | WA | 2025 | $2,546,723 | |
| 44 | 32 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | Randy O'Rear | $135,987,428 | No | 2 | D | 42 | TX | 2025 | $740,686 | |
| 45 | 38 | Moody Bible Institute | Mark Jobe | $129,574,445 | Yes | 1 | A | 75 | IL | 2025 | ||
| 46 | 36 | University of Northwestern - St. Paul | Corbin Hornbeek | $126,982,704 | No | 5 | D | 71 | MN | 2025 | ||
| 47 | 40 | Charleston Southern University | Keith Faulkner | $125,239,964 | No | 4 | D | 69 | SC | 2025 | $898,539 | |
| 48 | NA | William Carey University | Ben Burnett | $125,135,364 | No | 3 | D | 68 | MS | 2025 | $11,836,142 | |
| 49 | 20 | Grove City College | Paul J. McNulty | $124,522,482 | No | 2 | D | 44 | PA | 2025 | ||
| 50 | 44 | LeTourneau University | Steven Mason | $123,878,799 | No | 4 | D | 73 | TX | 2025 | $2,330,586 |