Marketing Faith-Based Schools: Three Unique Attributes to Emphasize

A school’s commitment to faith-based education sets it apart from most other colleges and universities. It has the advantage of offering a distinct perspective—in vocational resources, in opportunities to serve and love others, and in the holistic academic experience. If you work at a faith-based school, don’t miss the chance to highlight these three unique attributes to prospective students and their parents.

Resources for Vocational Discernment and Personal Development

A faith-based school is committed to helping students discern and pursue a vocation—not merely find a job after they graduate (though, that’s still important, too!). Beyond career preparation, though, you’re offering students something else of exceptional value. The return on investment isn’t measured by prospective salaries or levels of professional advancement. What you’re offering students is a whole-life journey to discover the unique calling God has for them in all aspects of life.

So while it’s critical to communicate to students how they will develop practical skills for success in the workplace, this shouldn’t be your primary message—especially since it’s the same message as every other school in the country.

Inspire prospective students with a vision of “more to life” than finding a job. Living well—understanding and fulfilling your purpose and potential— includes forming healthy relationships, serving those in need, and developing a rich spiritual life. As a faith-based school, your institution is in an ideal position to help students live well—to thrive intellectually, professionally, socially, and spiritually after they graduate.

Wheaton College does a good job of highlighting their career services office through a video and by providing key stats to reveal how it prepares students for careers after graduation—all important and valuable

Westmont College’s “Cove” career center webpage highlights the practical, job-related resources available to students while keeping the focus on God's calling. It approaches the process of helping students identify and pursue a career and vocation through four steps: “Know Your Story,” “Shape Your Story,” “Tell Your Story,” and “Live Your Story.”

Westmont does a great job of conveying that its career services are fundamentally committed to helping students discern not just a job, but a lifelong calling. It accomplishes this by continually pointing back to its holistic, faith-based approach that is integral to the process of vocational development.

Some faith-based schools focus too much on the practical aspects of their career centers—just like every other college career center. It’s important to detail how your career services account for faith-based discernment in students’ lives as well.

Opportunities to Serve and Explore Other Careers or Callings

A faith-based school offers abundant opportunities for students to serve and give back now—not just after they graduate. Instead of only taking courses, studying abroad, meeting friends, and learning to live on their own—all things that make up any great college experience—students can also participate in activities that widen their capacity to love and serve their neighbor.

Aside from helping students better live out their faith, service also allows students to discover new passions and gifts. These opportunities can help students discern a future career by hands-on participation beyond traditional internships or career strengths tests.

Through a service opportunity—such as working with a nonprofit ministry abroad, mentoring other students on their faith journey, or leading spiritual retreats—students may realize they have a different calling than expected. They might decide to pursue nonprofit leadership. Or, they may discover they have a particular gift for counseling and working with young children. Or they may discover new perspectives on living out their faith through whatever career path they choose.

Extracurricular service projects are great opportunities to help students discern what they are being called to do professionally and spiritually.

Many faith-based schools feature videos or stories about students engaging in ministry-related activities or detailing how internships or certain work experiences have helped students choose a career. But how about combining these into compelling, multi-faceted stories? What if you featured more content of students engaging in on-campus ministries or service opportunities that focus on how the experience helped them discern their future career?

This could be a great way to show that such opportunities are not only important in helping students learn to become more service-oriented, but that they can lead to major life and vocational insights—these are the experiences that make attending a faith-based university so unique.

A Holistic and Engaging Academic Experience

The academic experience at a faith-based school is one grounded in the holistic pursuit of truth, meaning students grow intellectually, as well as morally and spiritually in an enriching academic setting.

This is especially important for students and parents to understand—your school is committed to offering a well-rounded and deeply transformative educational experience. Faculty are committed to intellectual and moral well-being, peers eagerly pursue the truth of their Christian faith, and courses explore theological and philosophical questions.

Hillsdale College places this unique academic experience front and center. They feature a well-designed webpage unpacking the meaning and benefits of their faith-based liberal arts education. The page even includes an inspirational video. Any prospective student or parent who comes across Hillsdale’s website will almost certainly leave with a better sense of the College’s unique and formative educational offerings.

George Fox University addresses this differentiating factor of Christian college head-on. In addition to detailing how faith plays a role in academics across campus, they feature a sharp video on “Theo” 101-102,” two required courses for all freshmen. This communicates to prospective students and parents how the faith-based academic experience is grounded in spiritual values.

Amidst a crowd of liberal arts colleges and other small-to-medium-sized schools, you have a clear edge. Grounded in the faith that drives your vision, let your light shine. Show students and parents what matters to you—and more importantly, why it matters to you. As students prepare to build their futures, will they build on a solid foundation?