Who We Are

Where a school is located says much about what kind of school it is, or likely will become.

Some liberal arts colleges are rural. They are located in the heartland. Open space and traditional communities provide something of a buffer for the college community. The surroundings may invite a more rational pace of life, and the distance adds some perspective on the secular values of the public square.

Some liberal arts colleges are urban. They are located in the heart of a great city. The urban environment invites engagement with the ethnic challenges of the inner city as well as the conflicting values of the corporate marketplace and modern world.

Other liberal arts colleges are suburban. They live on the fringes of the city and likely strive for the best of both rural and urban engagement.

And then there is Rivendell.

Although you can earn a Rivendell degree online and study anywhere at any time, you will find our Affiliate Study Centers, at a growing number of locations, next to major universities. We intentionally locate in facilities bordering university campuses, weaving our presence and programs into the fabric of the larger academic community. Students live in former fraternities and sororities, and in apartments and houses among thousands of university students with many different backgrounds and beliefs. This real-world setting is essential to Rivendell’s vision of education and life-formation.

At Rivendell College we embrace the classical vision of the university as a Christian institution. As heirs of that legacy, we believe that all truth is God’s truth, that every good gift is from God, and that all human endeavors, including intellectual pursuits, ought to fulfill the great commands to love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves. These foundational convictions inspire us to engage in rigorous and thoughtful interaction with the brightest and best minds within and outside the Christian tradition. We earnestly seek to learn from ancient wisdom and contemporary thought. And we are passionately convinced that pursuing these things – in community – with the highest standards of personal excellence will produce a generation of leaders who will shape cultures and change the world!