Tuition & Financial Aid

Want to graduate debt-free? Anchor Christian University is committed to
providing an exceptional education that launches faith-driven leaders
into their calling without a debt load.

2023-2024 Tuition & Costs

$350/credit hour.

For any and all courses. Graduate and undergraduate. Full time or part time. That’s it. No technology fees or other per-credit fees that pad the price tag.

That means a full ACU undergraduate degree costs about what the average private college will set you back for your first three semesters. And that’s if you don’t qualify for our tuition discounts, which most students do.

Tuition Discounts

Over 90% of Anchor Christian University students qualify for the frontline ministry partner discount. Even if you think you don’t qualify, ask!

Eleven:6 Frontline Ministry Partner Discount: $100/credit. Funded by ACU, this discount is available to students participating in Christian gap year programs, ministry internships, or church residencies with organizations that are part of the Eleven:6 network. In some cases, ministry sites double this discount to add up to an additional $100/credit of matching scholarship funds for their students.

International Student Discount: Amount Varies. This is a need-based discount that fills the gap between the economic realities of qualified international students in varying locales and our $USD tuition rate.

Other Costs

Books & Course Resources. While most courses will require one or more books or multimedia resources (videos, digital training, etc…), we work hard to select resources that are highly relevant to the topic, easily accessible in print and digital formats, and cost-effective. When possible, we deliver content digitally inside the course at no extra cost to students.

Room and board are not calculated as part of the ACU cost of attendance. We focus on your learning as it’s applied to life and ministry. Since most, if not all, of our students, are deployed in frontline ministry contexts, the living opportunities and expenses vary widely. In many cases, those costs are covered by the organization or ministry they serve with. Others have minimal costs. Those serving in missions generally raise support to cover living expenses. Yet others are already in professional positions with established homes and budgets.

Federal Grants and Loans

ACU does not currently participate in the Federal Title IV financial aid program (PELL Grants, Federal Student Loans). The overhead cost that would be passed on to students in the form of increased tuition and fees would wipe out the value of applying PELL Grants to the top line cost for most students.

This also means students will not receive a 1098-T form from Anchor Christian University to file with their taxes — or their parents’ taxes. Please consult your tax advisor about whether ACU tuition may be applied to relevant tax deductions and/or credits.

More importantly, there are current and future risks to the opportunity to deliver biblical education that come with the dynamics of regulatory oversight of that program. While the leadership team is investigating avenues to open access to grants for ACU students, our commitment is to keep top-line costs accessible and to protect our ability to amplify the disciple-making mandate of the local church globally.

Some ACU students may be eligible to access Title IV grants and loans through our partnership with accredited schools that participate in federal programs.

56%

Lower average net price than the Top 5 online Christian Colleges.

90%

Of our students qualify for a tuition discount.

The Lie

My future employer will care where I went to school.

The Truth

Most employers don’t look at your GPA, and they don’t care about your alma mater. In fact, a recent Gallup survey reported that only 9% of employers place importance on a student’s graduating university, while 84% cited a candidate’s skills and field knowledge as “very important” in making hiring decisions.

Dave Ramsey
via DaveRamsey.com article

Over $2 Trillion

That’s the current U.S. student debt load… and it’s climbing fast. Don’t be a statistic!

More student debt insight:

Launch Faster. Go Farther.

Start making the difference only you can make. We promise to match your passion and fuel your drive with:

No Delay. Learn while serving in a ministry aligned with your gifts, your passion, and your calling.

No Debt. Earn your degree at half the price of most other schools.

No Doubt. Have everything you need to secure the job you want.

Talk with admissions

APPLY NOW