Dallas Christian College offers a distinctive faith-based education in an intimate setting where students receive personalized attention and spiritual development opportunities.
The college serves a diverse student body with strong commitment to accessibility, though families should carefully consider long-term financial outcomes when making enrollment decisions.
Dallas Christian College is a small private nonprofit institution in Texas that serves students seeking a faith-centered education in an intimate academic setting. While the college doesn't rank among the top performers nationally for earnings outcomes, with graduates earning a median of $43,503 ten years after enrollment, it offers a distinctive educational experience focused on Christian values and personal development. The institution serves a diverse student body, with over half of students receiving Pell Grants and about 40% being first-generation college students.
The college's small size creates opportunities for close faculty-student relationships and personalized attention that larger institutions cannot match. However, prospective students and families should understand that this comes with trade-offs in terms of long-term earnings potential. Graduates typically earn less than what similar students achieve at other institutions, reflecting both the college's specialized mission and the career paths that many graduates pursue in ministry, education, and service-oriented fields.
For families who prioritize faith-based education and are prepared for the financial realities, Dallas Christian College provides a supportive environment where students can develop both academically and spiritually. The college's commitment to serving first-generation and Pell-eligible students demonstrates its accessibility, though completion rates remain a challenge that prospective students should carefully consider.
Dallas Christian College's program offerings reflect its specialized mission as a faith-based institution, though detailed program-level data is limited in the available information. The college's focus on Christian education, ministry preparation, and service-oriented fields aligns with its institutional values but contributes to the modest earnings outcomes seen among graduates. Unlike larger institutions with diverse program portfolios including high-earning fields like engineering, business, or technology, Dallas Christian College's specialized mission naturally channels students toward careers in ministry, education, social services, and other mission-driven fields that typically offer lower financial compensation.
The absence of high-return professional programs means that students seeking maximum earning potential may need to look elsewhere, while those called to ministry or service-oriented careers will find programs aligned with their vocational goals. Prospective students should carefully consider whether their career aspirations align with the college's program strengths and whether they are prepared for the financial realities of the career paths that typically follow from these programs. The college's small size may limit program diversity but can provide intensive, personalized preparation for students whose calling aligns with the institution's mission and available academic offerings.
Graduates of Dallas Christian College face significant financial challenges compared to peers at other institutions. Ten years after enrollment, they earn a median of $43,503, which places the college in the bottom 20% nationally for long-term earnings outcomes. More concerning, graduates earn about $3,500 less than similar students at other institutions would be expected to earn, indicating that the college's outcomes fall short of what students might achieve elsewhere. Only 29 students in recent cohorts earn more than $75,000 annually, reflecting the limited high-earning opportunities available to graduates.
The college's small size and specialized mission contribute to these modest earnings outcomes. Without a robust array of high-return programs in fields like engineering, business, or technology, most graduates enter careers in ministry, education, social services, and other mission-driven fields that typically offer lower compensation but align with the institution's values. The loan repayment data shows that many borrowers struggle to make progress on their debt, with virtually no borrowers successfully paying off their loans in the first four years after graduation.
Prospective students should carefully weigh the long-term financial implications of attending Dallas Christian College. While the education may provide significant personal and spiritual value, families need to be realistic about post-graduation earning potential and ensure they have sustainable plans for managing educational debt in light of these earnings realities.
Dallas Christian College presents mixed affordability signals for prospective families. Net prices are relatively consistent across income levels, with low-income students paying about $21,705 annually, middle-income families paying $22,517, and higher-income families paying $24,553. While these prices are somewhat below what many private colleges charge, they still represent a significant investment given the college's modest earnings outcomes. The institution ranks in the bottom quartile nationally for affordability when considering the relationship between cost and long-term financial returns.
Debt levels at Dallas Christian College are concerning given the earnings outcomes. Typical graduates leave with about $24,912 in federal student loan debt, and families often take on an additional $25,771 in Parent PLUS loans, bringing total family borrowing to over $50,000. While the college reports a 0% federal loan default rate, this may reflect the use of forbearance, deferment, or income-driven repayment plans rather than successful repayment. The loan trajectory data shows that virtually no borrowers make meaningful progress on paying down their balances in the first four years after graduation.
Families considering Dallas Christian College should have realistic conversations about financing strategies and post-graduation debt management. Given the modest earnings outcomes, standard 10-year repayment may be challenging for many graduates, making income-driven repayment plans likely necessary for sustainable debt management.
Dallas Christian College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
