Calvin College Grads Debt Burden Ranks Among the Lowest of Christian Colleges

Christian Universities Online has published a ranking of the Christian colleges with the lowest debt burden.

Calvin College was the only Michigan school to make the list, coming in 34th overall.

College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO claimed the top spot on the list with an average total indebtedness of $6,424 and only 13% of students who borrowed. John Brown University in Siloam Spring, AR and Williams Baptist College of Walnut Ridge, AR were ranked second and third respectively.

The ranking was built using information from a U.S. News & World Report of student indebtedness. Two data points were considered and equally weighted for the ranking: the average total indebtedness of the 2013 graduating class and the percent of graduating students who borrowed. Institutional loans, financial institutions, and loans from federal, state, and local governments were considered. Parental loans were not factored into this average.

Michael Templeton, Senior Editor for Christian Universities Online, said the purpose of the ranking was to help "parents and students who are seeking to make the most informed decision possible when choosing a Christian institution of higher education. We understand the long term effects of excessive student loan debt and produced this ranking in order to highlight schools that are excelling in keeping the debt burden of their graduates as low as possible," Templeton said.

The colleges and universities on this list had to be accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools or a member/affiliate of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.

Here's an alphabetical listing of the colleges which made the top 50: