| Former names | North Central Christian College (1959–1961) Michigan Christian College (1961–1997) Rochester College (1997–2019) Rochester University (2019–2024) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private college |
| Established | 1959 |
| Religious affiliation | Churches of Christ |
| President | Brian Stogner |
| Students | 1,167 |
| Undergraduates | 1,140 |
| Postgraduates | 27 |
| Location | Rochester Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
| Campus | Suburban, 85 acres (34 ha) |
| Colors | Crimson & White |
| Nickname | Warriors |
| Sporting affiliations | NAIA – WHAC |
| Website | rcu |
Rochester Christian University, legally Rochester University before 2024, is a private Christian college in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It was founded by members of the Churches of Christ in 1959.
Rochester Christian University is primarily undergraduate-focused and offers some graduate programs, such as a Master of Religious Education program. It also offers a degree completion program for adult students.
History
In 1954, members of the Churches of Christ formed a board of trustees to establish an educational institution in the North Central region of the United States. After months of consideration, the board decided to establish a liberal arts college and purchased a country estate in Rochester Hills, Michigan, for a campus site. In September 1959, the college opened as North Central Christian College, retaining that name until 1961.
In the years that followed, the institution operated under the name of Michigan Christian College. In 1997, the board adopted the name Rochester College to more clearly portray the institution's nature as a liberal arts college in a Christian setting. The campus has grown to exceed 74 acres (30 ha).
In 2019, the institution's name was changed to Rochester University. Four years later, the University of Rochester sued for trademark infringement, alleging that the name Rochester University caused confusion. The university changed its name to Rochester Christian University in 2024 after "an amicable resolution with the University of Rochester concerning this matter".
Academics
| Undergraduate admissions statistics | |
|---|---|
| 2020 entering class | |
| Admit rate | 99.4 (527 out of 530) |
| Yield rate | 37.2 (196 out of 527) |
| Test scores middle 50% | |
| SAT Total | 840-1050 (among 77% of FTFs) |
| ACT Composite | 17-23 (among 15% of FTFs) |
| |
Rochester Christian University's most popular majors, by 2021 graduates, were:
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching (67)
- Mass Communication/Media Studies (23)
- Psychology (23)
- Business Administration and Management (18)
- Organizational Leadership (18)
Athletics
Rochester Christian University's athletic teams are the Warriors. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) since the 2017–18 academic year; although they had competed as an associate member for baseball during the 2016–17 school year prior to apply for full membership. The Warriors previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2011–12 to 2016–17. Its men's wrestling team competed in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) from 2018–19 to 2019–20.
Prior to joining the NAIA, they were also a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and the National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) prior to that, in which the college won a combined eight national championships.
Rochester Christian University competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer and esports.
References
- "Rochester College appoints interim as new president". Crain's Detroit Business. March 16, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- "Rochester College unveils new mission statement, logos as part of transition to Rochester University". The Oakland Press. April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- Knox, Liam (June 22, 2023). "Rochester v. Rochester". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- Wegert, Nate (March 8, 2024). "Rochester University announces name change to Rochester Christian University | Rochester Christian University | Rochester Hills, MI". Rochester Christian University. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- "Rochester University Common Data Set 2020-2021" (PDF). Rochester University. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- "Rochester University". nces.ed.gov. U.S. Dept of Education. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
- Rochester College joins NAIA - theoaklandpress.com Archived July 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- Rochester College Warriors Join the WHAC | Rochester University Athletics
- Rochester College to join WHAC - The Oakland Press
- Rochester Approved as Full Members for 2017-18 | Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
External links
| Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference | |
|---|---|
| Full members | |
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