Top Conservative Colleges in America
Updated December 6, 2023
Learning About Conservative Colleges
Conservative colleges pride themselves on the seriousness with which they pursue their primary mission: not only maintaining rigorous academic standards and thus helping their students towards high intellectual attainment, but also inspiring in them the moral character, civic virtues, and fiscal responsibility typically associated with conservatism.
What Is a Conservative College?
A conservative college helps like-minded students earn degrees through a right-wing worldview. These colleges often emphasize specific religious belief systems in their academic programs and campus communities.
Conservative colleges' ideologies often attract students with similar political beliefs. Conservative institutions are well suited to individuals with right-wing ideals, while learners with more liberal or moderate beliefs have limited opportunities at conservative schools.
Featured Online Bachelor's Degree Programs
The Best Conservative Colleges in the U.S.
We use trusted sources like
Peterson's Data and
the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools.
#1 Top Conservative Colleges in America
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT - 4 years
- Campus
Brigham Young University appeals to students with a variety of needs. Learners enrolled at the private institution participate in online and on-campus classes offered at the main campus in Provo.
Both modalities prioritize academic rigor while providing a supportive learning community. Faculty mentors and academic advisors help degree-seekers customize the course of study based on their interests and goals. Career workshops, mock interviews, and job fairs help learners reach their professional goals. The school's undergraduate programs report a graduation rate of 78%.
Prospective students work with the financial aid office to identify funding opportunities to cover degree costs. Learners receiving financial aid make up 71% of the student body.
Best Conservative Colleges in the U.S. Ranking Guidelines
We ranked these degree programs based on quality, curricula, school awards, rankings, and reputation.
Our Methodology
Here at TheBestSchools.org, we take the trust and welfare of our readers very seriously. When making our school and program rankings, our top priority is ensuring that our readers get accurate, unbiased information that can help them make informed decisions about online education. That's why we've developed a rigorous ranking methodology that keeps the needs of our readers front and center.
Our proprietary, multi-criteria ranking algorithm analyzes key data indicators — as collected by the federal government — for each school or program. What data we use depends on the focus of each specific ranking, but in all cases, our ranking methodology is impartial: Schools cannot buy better rankings at TBS.
While specific criteria under consideration can vary by ranking, there are a few data points that we value most highly. They are affordability, academic quality, and online enrollment. Below, we break down our algorithm to help you understand what you're getting when you use one of our rankings.
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Academics -
Affordability -
Online Enrollment
Data Sources
The data used in TBS rankings comes primarily from the federal government, and much of it is provided by the schools themselves. We aggregate and analyze this data to build our rankings.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is our primary source. Its data comes from annual surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Every college, university, or technical school with access to federal financial aid must participate in these surveys, which include questions about enrollment, graduation rates, finances, and faculty qualifications. This is publicly available data, which you can access yourself through the College Navigator.
Additionally, because we value a personal touch and the professional experience of our staff and Academic Advisory Board, we vet all results and adjust rankings as necessary based on our collected knowledge of schools and degree programs. Depending on the ranking, we may obtain additional input from AcademicInfluence.com, subject matter experts, prior TBS ranking lists, or other sources we deem relevant to a particular ranking.
Breakdown of Our Rankings Methodology
About Our Ranking Factors
Here at TBS, we value what you value: quality education, affordability, and the accessibility of online education. These factors guide all of our program rankings.
Each of these factors are further broken down into weighted subfactors. For example, retention rates are weighted more heavily than availability of program options because they are a better indicator of student success.
We chose the following factors for our rankings because of their influence on learning experiences and graduate outcomes. However, students should always balance our rankings against their personal priorities. For instance, a learner who needs a fully online program may prioritize online flexibility more than our rankings do. Our rankings are designed to help you make a decision — not to make a decision for you.
Academics - 75%
Affordability - 15%
Online Enrollment - 10%
In all our school rankings and recommendations, we work for objectivity and balance. We carefully research and compile each ranking list, and as stated in our advertising disclosure, we do NOT permit financial incentives to influence rankings. Our articles never promote or disregard a school for financial gain.
If you have questions about our ranking methodology, please feel free to connect with our staff through contact page.
We thank you for your readership and trust.
Choosing a Conservative College
Students should consider the mission of any prospective institution as they explore options. Finding a school that matches your personal, spiritual, and political values is important. Additional factors to keep in mind include tuition rate, program availability, and location.
Many top conservative colleges are private institutions and provide significant financial aid to students. Online coursework and programs allow students to take classes at conservative colleges on a flexible schedule.
Accreditation for Conservative Colleges
Colleges and universities in the United States can hold regional or national accreditation. Regional accreditation is for more academic liberal arts institution, while national accreditation is for vocational, career, and technical schools. Many online and religious institutions also hold national accreditation.
Programmatic accreditation applies to individual degrees and programs at private and public institutions.
Students should check the accreditation status for any prospective school or program. Accreditation status can affect financial aid, transfer options, and overall program quality.
What Can I Expect in Attending a Conservative College?
Most conservative colleges tend to be private schools, so their student bodies are smaller than those at public institutions. Because students all adhere to a common belief system, a conservative college can build strong community connections between students and faculty.
While attending a conservative college, students often have to meet behavioral and moral expectations. Some conservative colleges separate men and women in on-campus housing. They may also limit interaction at events and in classes. Visitor policies may also reflect this separation.
Many conservative institutions require dress codes, attendance at chapel or worship services, and volunteer hours. Some schools also regulate language use and other aspects of personal and social presence through institutional honor codes.
Popular Majors at Conservative Colleges
The top conservative colleges offer many of the same programs as their moderate and liberal counterparts, but through a conservative lens. Popular majors at conservative colleges include business, economics, and history. Faculty encourage students to apply a Christian or conservative view in the classroom and to their future professions.
Due to strong religious affiliations, conservative colleges usually offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology, ministry, and related religious fields. Conservative colleges often train future pastors, ministers, and spiritual counselors.
Common Questions About Conservative Colleges
What Are the Most Conservative Colleges?
Liberty University, Regent University, and Brigham Young University are among the most conservative colleges in the U.S. These institutions offer academic programs with religious and conservative values.
Are There Any Conservative Colleges in New England?
Yes. Conservative institutions in New England include Stonehill College and Anna Maria College in Massachusetts.
Are There Any Conservative Colleges in Texas?
Yes. LeTourneau University, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and Angelo State are among the most conservative colleges in Texas.
Are There Any Conservative Colleges in New York?
Yes. In New York, Iona College, Roberts Wesleyan College, and Le Moyne College are among the best conservative colleges.
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