During the current 2024–2025 school year, Andrews University is celebrating its 150th anniversary, honoring the school’s start as Battle Creek College in 1874—the first institution of higher education to be established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The young institution grew and moved from Battle Creek to Berrien Springs, Michigan, in 1901, where it took the name Emmanuel Missionary College.
In 1960, with the integration of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on the Berrien Springs campus, the college became a university and chose a new name honoring one of the church’s first scholar-missionaries, J.N. Andrews. Since then, Andrews University has developed into a leading global university, significantly advancing the mission of the Adventist Church and impacting communities across the world.
During this sesquicentennial year of celebrations, Andrews University again celebrates a strong round of national university rankings, including significant improvement in this year’s 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges rating.
The University’s formal census/enrollment reporting for fall semester (which is reported at the end of September each year, following a review of the initial fall semester census report from earlier in the month) shows growth in key areas, including an overall headcount enrollment of 3,021 registered on or through the Berrien Springs campus of the University, which is up 2% over the previous year. Included in those areas of enrollment growth is the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, which showed a nearly 7% increase in enrollment over the previous fall.
U.S. News Best Colleges
As previously reported, Andrews University was again named among the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In this year’s rankings, Andrews climbed 47 spots from last year’s ranking of national universities, which represents the fourth largest increase of any university nationwide.
The selective 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings are based on several metrics of academic strength, including a university’s graduation rate, class size and faculty to student ratio, all areas where Andrews outperforms the national average. This year, the ranking also gave additional weight to metrics that measure a university’s support for students from all social backgrounds, with Andrews being included in the list of “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” reflecting the University’s success at graduating students with family incomes under $50,000.
U.S. News also awarded Andrews the top position for ethnic diversity among national universities, tying for #1 with Stanford, Johns Hopkins and San Francisco University. Additionally, Andrews was included among the top 10 national universities for most international students, placing #7 with 20% of students coming from outside of the United States.
Of the more than 1,800 colleges and universities that U.S. News assesses, less than a quarter are recognized as national universities, as Andrews University is. This national university status signals that a university offers a full range of undergraduate offerings as well as doctoral programs, where students at all levels are taught and mentored by research-active faculty. Andrews is the only national university run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, offering students the full rigor of a premier higher education in a faith-affirming atmosphere.
Andrews’ undergraduate engineering program, which offers concentrations in mechanical, chemical, computer and electrical engineering, was also recognized by the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, making its list of “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.” This selective list requires a program to be ABET accredited and is based on peer assessment, indicating the strong professional reputation that the Andrews engineering program has established over the decades.
Niche Best Colleges in America
Andrews University continues to rank in the top 20 Best Christian Colleges in America, according to Niche’s 2025 Best Colleges in America rankings, which ranked Andrews #19 among the more than 500 Christian colleges and universities included in the list. Niche also recognized Andrews as the Best Christian College (#1 of 12), Top Private University (#1 of 24) and Best Small College (#1 of 25) in the state of Michigan.
Moreover, several of Andrews’ academic programs were identified as among the best in the nation, including biology, business, computer science, history, music, physical therapy, psychology and religion.
The Niche rankings are based on a detailed analysis of educational data measuring the academic quality and financial value of the University as well as a comprehensive student review system. Based on these factors, Niche assigned Andrews “A” grades in key areas such as academics, value, diversity, professors, campus food and safety.
More than 500 students and alumni have shared their experiences at Andrews with Niche. One review from a current sophomore expressed, “As a minority student myself, I love the fact that Andrews boasts of a rich diversity, and this has given me the great opportunity of learning from other people with different cultural backgrounds than my own. … Each student is given an equal opportunity to explore other areas alongside academics. These areas include, but are not limited to, leadership opportunities, service-learning opportunities, career mentorship, support with small business startups, and community involvement.” The student concluded, “Andrews is a home where world changers are made, and I am proud to be part of that home!”
A current graduate student, who also attended Andrews as an undergraduate student, shared in a review, “From the very beginning, I felt a strong sense of community and spiritual guidance that resonated with my beliefs. The University’s commitment to fostering a holistic education, combining academic excellence with spiritual development, has truly shaped my journey. The faculty and staff have been incredibly supportive, not only in imparting knowledge but also in nurturing my personal and religious growth.”
Wall Street Journal 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S.
Andrews University was also named in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse “2025 Best Colleges in the U.S.” rankings. Andrews is one of four Christian universities in Michigan and the only Adventist university in the United States included in this ranking of the nation’s top 500 universities.
In these Wall Street Journal rankings, Andrews placed second among Michigan private universities in the student experience category, which takes into account student satisfaction with campus facilities, sense of community, mental health support and a number of other factors, including the quality of positive interactions within the ethnically and socioeconomically diverse student body.
The WSJ analysis also reported that the value added by an Andrews undergraduate degree works out to an average annual salary increase of nearly $24,000 compared to high school graduates in Michigan. This difference in salaries for college graduates means that, generally, college graduates earn as much as $1 million or more over the course of a career.
“At Andrews University, we’re proud to be providing an academically excellent and distinctively faith-based, world changing Adventist education to the more than 3,000 students who study on our main campus and around the world each year,” says Wagner Kuhn, interim chief academic officer at Andrews University.
“Andrews University remains committed to assuring quality and success in the current studies, life and faith journey of each one of our students, including their overall student experience while they earn an Andrews degree,” adds Amy Rebok Rosenthal, dean of Undergraduate Education. “These are students who are focused on God’s plans for their lives, both in their current studies, and for their careers and life beyond our campus as each graduate seeks to Change the World, a goal that is core to our Andrews University mission statement.”
“Taken together, these remarkable U.S. News Best Colleges, Niche Best Colleges in America, and Wall Street Journal rankings all speak to the strength of Andrews as a recognized and acclaimed Seventh-day Adventist global university with outstanding academic offerings. These rankings are also a testament to the deep commitment of each student, faculty and staff at Andrews University as we live out together our distinctive, faith-based mission to prepare our students for deep and meaningful service that advances God’s kingdom in this world,” says John Wesley Taylor V, president of Andrews University.
Following a late September review of census figures, Andrews University’s headcount enrollment for fall 2024 showed 3,021 students—nearly 50 students more than the fall 2023 enrollment of 2,972. These numbers represent a 2% increase from last year and a 3% increase from the previous year. Credit hours also increased this semester.
Graduate headcount enrollment was 1,598—an increase of 53 students, or 3%, over last year’s graduate headcount enrollment.
Undergraduate headcount enrollment was stable—1,423 undergraduates enrolled in fall 2024. The largest increase in individual undergraduate class levels was in the sophomore headcount enrollment, which was up 27 students, or 10%. This positive increase reflects the University’s high retention of students who choose to return after their freshman year. Additionally, undergraduate transfer enrollment was up 12 students, or 13%.
Within the University’s colleges, the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary (920 vs. 863), the College of Professions (306 vs. 302) and the College of Arts & Sciences (672 vs. 657) all showed increases.
An additional 321 students are also registered and studying at international campus partners and programs this fall semester, which makes for an overall worldwide Andrews University 2024 fall semester enrollment of 3,342 students.
“Andrews University is deepening its commitment to being a truly Global Campus, which means that we are able to also offer that same quality and commitment to the additional Andrews students who study around the globe on partner campuses and through distance education options each year,“ says Alayne Thorpe, dean of the College of Education & International Services and dean of Graduate Studies.
Additionally, Andrews University continues to enroll students throughout the year, including those who study around the world through national and international student cohorts in a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs. As a result, the Fall Census numbers do not show the full picture of how many students enroll at Andrews over a 12-month period each year. Instead, the report on annual unduplicated headcount best shows overall headcount enrollment at Andrews during a given year.
In this year’s report, the annual unduplicated headcount analysis showed 4,003 different students overall who enrolled at Andrews at some point between summer semester 2023 and spring semester 2024.
“Our 2024 fall semester enrollment statistics and indicators reflect the importance of a strong focus each semester, each year in encouraging our undergraduate and graduate students to continue their studies once they’ve begun,” says Kuhn. “As a result, our positive enrollment numbers this fall semester reflect the tireless and committed work of our enrollment team, staff, faculty and the entire Andrews University community as we worked together to welcome our new and returning students this fall semester.”
Bordes Henry-Saturné, interim vice president for Strategic Enrollment, Marketing & Communication, adds “each one of our frontline faculty and staff members across our campus is essential to our efforts to recruit and successfully enroll new students each fall semester on our Andrews University main campus. Their work complements the specific support from Marking & Enrollment Management, Student Financial Services, Campus & Student Life, International Student Services and more in supporting our new and returning students.”
President Taylor notes, “It’s a particular privilege to take a measure of our remarkable University family in this 150th anniversary year at Andrews University. The increase of both new and returning students who enrolled this school year, both on our campus and around the world, represents generations of students and graduates who are part of Andrews’ story.”
“On this sesquicentennial year, we salute these current students and all the graduates before them who represent an incredible history of academic studies and faithful commitment to world change that continue to exemplify our amazing, global, Seventh-day Adventist Christian university,” continues Taylor.
“Incidentally, this year, we are using the phrase ‘Founded in Faith. Forward in Mission.’ to celebrate our 150th anniversary, highlighted in the God-centered, world-changing focus and personal impact of an Andrews University education for each one of our students. This sesquicentennial theme also honors the education and inspiration which were offered by Emmanuel Missionary College and Battle Creek College during our first nine decades of operation.”
“As this year of celebration continues, I want to assure you that Andrews University remains fully committed to God and His calling for our lives—students, graduates, faculty, staff and administrators—and His ongoing mission for our University,” says Taylor.