Cedarville University (CU)

Cedarville University, a Baptist school in western Ohio, is “a Christ-centered university” seeking to “provide students with a top-notch education grounded in a Biblical worldview while equipping them for a lifetime of success and service” through “classes, chapel, bible studies, ministries, and campus life.” Academics are rigorous here with “an enormous stress on personal success,” with the result that graduates “are equipped to go into the world as engineers, pastors, artists, etc., to make a difference for Christ.” Cedarville “doesn't compromise its standards,” meaning all classes are taught in accordance with belief in the inerrancy of Scripture and Creationism, and all students must complete a Bible minor (which some here tell us “is often a waste of a lot of time for Christians who understand the basics of the faith”) and attend daily chapel. With a community “so close-knit…that sometimes we refer to it as the ‘Cedarville bubble,’” Cedarville undergrads enjoy profs who “make themselves very available to students and are willing to help in whatever way can,” and whose “care for students is obvious as is their desire to see each one fulfill his or her potential,” as well as an administration that is “very engaged with the student body.”

“The typical student [at Cedarville] is a committed Christian—that's why they choose to come to Cedarville.” They are also “friendly and willing to engage in significant conversation about a variety of topics” and “very school-spirited! Many students show up for sporting events, and it is not uncommon to see people dressed up or with painted faces at basketball games.” The majority of students are white, middle class, and “profess conservative political beliefs.” Those who don't fit this prototype warn that they are sometimes “treated terribly by the majority of the student body, especially since the conservative majority views it as their religious duty to ‘correct’ the liberal.”

“For the most part you have to make your own fun” at Cedarville, as “the school is pretty far out of town, so unless you have a car you hang around campus.” No wonder many students tell us that “Life at Cedarville is unexciting.” For many, “Ministry is what defines life at Cedarville University. Almost everyone is involved in a ministry that fits their personality and interests, whether it be volunteering at a school or hospital or being on a music or athletic team. There are so many ministries to be involved in it's absolutely amazing. Chapel is another thing that defines Cedarville. Every day our whole student body gathers together for an hour to worship and listen to a speaker.” Otherwise, “for fun,” undergrads “hang out with each other in the dorms, and on the weekends we go to restaurants and movies, play putt-putt, paintball, go to football games at Central State, and hike at the Gorge.” On campus “There are pretty frequent school-sponsored activities…such as performances by students in the cafe, costume parties, outdoor games, dorm wars, etc.” When all else fails “There are two larger towns relatively close and even Dayton about 45 minutes away” and “all provide entertainment through shopping, hanging out, eating, or just sight-seeing.”