Fundie school

A fundamentalist college or fundamentalist university, colloquially and pejoratively referred to as a "fundie school", is a type of higher-education institution established by fundamentalist Christian conservatives. Some fundie schools have actual campuses, possess legitimate academic accreditation, and resemble secular universities. Others are shameless diploma mills which offer "degrees" to anyone with a credit card. Many are located in the Bible belt in the United States. Fundie schools often incorporate pseudoscience, young-earth creationism, and evolution denial into their curricula. In some cases biblical studies make up enough bible courses that equal to a second major in Bible. Many fundie schools are accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, a creationist accreditation authority.
Several types of fundie school exist. At the bottom tier are unaccredited diploma mills, that run shady web-sites and operate out of a double-wide trailer or someone's private house. The next tier are weirdo schools like Bob Jones University and Pensacola Christian College that have an actual campus run with a fundamentalist mindset. These types of schools often impose strange, restrictive standards of behavior on their students, but usually possess at least national accreditation. The third tier encompasses the fundamentalist right wingers, epitomized by Brigham Young University, Liberty University, and Regent University. These type of schools usually possess regional accreditation. Rounding out the field are the mainstream fundies that are owned or controlled by a church, such as Loma Linda University, Notre Dame University, and Emory University. 
Many fundie schools, especially Pensacola, Liberty, and Bob Jones, get tons of bad reviews online because ignorant parents (some of whom aren't even fundamentalist or Christian) force their problem children to attend as if they were boot camps, thinking these institutions' strict rules will straighten their troubled youngsters out. Most of the time, those parents are dead wrong and setting their children up for a miserable failure.
== Sexual abuse and fundie schools ==
Many schools linked to the evangelical community are known to deny and cover up sexual abuse issues.Josua Pease, The sin of silence: The epidemic of denial about sexual abuse in the evangelical church. The Washington Post, 31 May 2018. These schools are noted for multiple incidents of improperly handling cases of sexual abuse, rape, and other seamy matters, often engaging in victim blaming in the process, and discouraging victims from reporting the attacks to the police.Grace Wyler, Sexual Abuse Has Become a Huge Problem for America's Bible Colleges. Vice, 4 March 2014.
In multiple cases at Pensacola Christian College, victims of rape were expelled for being a "fornicator" (basically calling them whores, or slut shaming) while no action was taken against the people who committed the rape."Guest post: ‘God is Done with You’: Pensacola Christian College and Sexual Violence" by Fred Clark, Patheos, 2014 March 11 
This type of behavior is not exclusive to fundie schools; campus rape is a serious problem in campuses of all sorts and is mishandled on a wide scale despite efforts to change the way rape victims are treated.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/college-apology-campus-rape_n_57a8a587e4b03ba680130cc9https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/12/15/22837885/usu-student-says-school-mishandled-her-report-of-rape-logan-utah-department-of-justicehttps://www.sanfordheisler.com/blog/2020/august/lawsuit-school-mishandled-disabled-student-s-rap/https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2018/09/16/on-campus-outrage-over-allegations-that-umbc-mishandled-rape-reports/
==Examples==
Name 	Accreditation Status 	Notes
Ambassador Baptist College 	UnaccreditedAccreditation, Ambassador Bible College. 	An independent Baptist creationist school in North Carolina.
Andersonville Theological Seminary 	UnaccreditedEducational Affiliations. andersonvilleseminary.com. Retrieved on 24 October 2015. 	A "distance learning" seminary located in Georgia. Credits can transfer to Liberty University.Life After Unaccredited Education. guidetoseminary.com, 4 April 2012.
American University of Health Sciences 	National 	A "Christian based, minority serving university which educates students for careers in the healthcare profession"About AUHS. auhs.edu.
Baptists for Israel Institute 	Unaccredited 	Spend some time volunteering on a kibbutz in Israel and earn a "Master of Arts" "Degree" in "Israel Studies." For those uninterested in an actual MA or MDiv program; also for those not interesting in overseas study opportunities through accredited seminaries.Graduate Year Program at baptists4israel.com.
Bethune-Cookman University 	Regional 	Historically black college operated by African American fundamentalists; a training ground for Uncle Toms. They invited Betsy DeVos to their 2017 graduation and scolded graduating students for protesting her.Bethune-Cookman grads boo Betsy DeVos at commencement. CNN, 10 May 2017.
Berea College 	RegionalBerea College Accreditation. berea.edu. 	Fundamentalist Christian college and "work college" (students take up jobs within the university to pay off their tuition) in Berea, Kentucky
Biola University 	RegionalBiola University Accreditation and Affiliation. biola.edu. "Biola University holds institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (1961)." Retrieved on 23 September 2015. 	Maintains a strict Biblical inerrancy doctrine; see also William Lane Craig
Bob Jones University 	RegionalAccreditation at Bob Jones University. They also retain an earlier national accreditation by TRACS. 	An unsavory fundamentalist and historically racist institution in South Carolina.
Boston Baptist College 	National 	A creationist training camp for fundamentalist ministers
Brigham Young University 	RegionalBYU Accreditation. "Brigham Young University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities." byu.edu. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. 	Associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Bryan College 	RegionalBryan College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate, baccalaureate, and master degrees. sacscoc.org. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. 	
Cambridge Theological Seminary 	Unaccredited 	An incoherent webshite ripping off the name of a world class educational institution that claimed it ran a seminary, and awarded worthless degrees.
Cedarville University 	RegionalCedarville University Accreditation. cedarville.edu. "The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission." Retrieved on 23 September 2015. 	
Christian Bible College 	UnaccreditedLevicoff, Steve. Name it & Frame It?: New Opportunities in Adult Education and how to Avoid Being Ripped Off by "Christian" Degree Mills. Institute on Religion and Law, 1993. 	Self-accredited by its own accreditation mill, the American Accrediting Association of Theological InstitutionsStatement of Faith and Facts. christianbiblecollege.org. Retrieved on 17 October 2015.
Charis Bible College 	UnaccreditedDoctrinal statement, Charis Bible College. 	One of Andrew Wommack's prosperity gospel scams that claims to focus on the Bible as their main textbook.
Cornerstone University 	RegionalStatement of Accreditation Status, Cornerstone University. Retrieved on 18 December 2016. 	
Columbia Pacific University 	Defunct 	An unaccredited diploma mill that was shut down by the state of California in 1999.Court Orders Columbia Pacific University to Cease Operating Illegally in California. Quackwatch, 5 November 2013.
Crown College of the Bible 	National 	Fundamentalist Baptist college in Powell, Tennessee
Dallas Baptist University 	RegionalDallas Baptist University Accreditation. www.dbu.edu. Dallas Baptist University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Retrieved on 28 October 2016. 	"Christ-centered quality higher education"Dallas Baptist University Mission Statement. www.dbu.edu. Retrieved on 28 October 2016. with a creationist worldviewDavid Naugle. A Commentary on the Mission Statement of Dallas Baptist University. "DBU is committed to providing academic majors in both the natural and social sciences... In keeping with its primary theistic orientation, DBU undertakes these studies with an understanding of God as the Maker of heaven and earth, and of human beings as the image and likeness of God." www3.dbu.edu. Retrieved on 28 October 2016.
Florida Bible Institute and Seminary 	UnaccreditedAICSS Disclaimer. aiccs.org. Retrieved on 19 June 2016. "Because of the AICCS Board of Directors' convictions in support of religious freedom, Christian liberty, and the separation of church and state, AICCS has never applied for affiliation with any federal government agency. AICCS, therefore, is not recognized by the United States Department of Education." 	They have a "campus" in a small office park in Vero Beach, Florida, and claim accreditation from the Association of Independent Christian Colleges & Seminaries, an unaccredited accreditation authority. They offer pseudoscience courses with telling names such as Creationist Geology and Creationist Astronomy.Florida Bible Institute and Seminary Course Catalog. tfbis.com. Retrieved on 19 June 2016. May now be defunct; no trace of their webshite exists in 2025.
Florida Gulf Coast University 	Regional 	State university run by Trumplicans in a Trumpland area of Florida, with several fundamentalists serving on the board. Apparently accepts Abeka courses as an actual education (unlike quality institutions like UC Berkeley), as evidenced by a fundie girl from a Christian school that uses Abeka representing them as an athlete.Fundie-girl's listing on the roster
Georgia Central University 	NationalAccreditation & Authorization at Georgia Central University. 	A missionary school for Korean American students. Until 2018, they had a "School of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine."
Haven University 	National 	Carl Baugh, founder of the Creation Evidence Museum who has a laughably bizarre Young Earth creationist worldview, claims a PhD in Theology from this place.A Matter of Degree: Carl Baugh's Alleged Credentials. talkorigins.org. Retrieved on 30 January 2016. Formerly the California Graduate School of Theology.
Hillsdale College 	RegionalCollege Profile. Hillsdale College. 	A far-right Christian college in Hillsdale, Michigan. They are strongly against social justice, diversity, and multiculturalism.
Houston Baptist University 	RegionalHouston Baptist University Catalog General Information. hbu.edu. "Houston Baptist University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees." Retrieved on 23 September 2015. 	Maintains a strict Biblical inerrancy doctrine; see also Lee Strobel and William Lane Craig
Hyles-Anderson College 	Unaccredited 	Fundamentalist Indiana school founded by Jack Hyles. Has strict rules.
School of Biblical Apologetics at the Institute for Creation Research 	UnaccreditedIs ICR’s School of Biblical Apologetics accredited? icr.edu. TL;DR summary: Regional accreditation organizations aren't friendly towards creationist schools, TRACS certification is not available in Texas, and God says we don't need accreditation. Retrieved on 4 December 2015. 	Accreditation? We don't need no stinking accreditation!See also “We don't need no stinking badges!” – the misquote that became a famous quote. "This institutional academic freedom...is not restricted by academic accreditation politics."School of Biblical Apologetics, About us. icr.edu. "ICR has prioritized curriculum content and practical ministry needs, rather than adding the expensive costs of academic accreditation politics..." Retrieved on 4 December 2015.
The King's College 	RegionalThe King's College Accreditation. tkc.edu. "The King’s College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education..." Retrieved on 23 September 2015. 	The former home of Dinesh D'Souza. Based in New York City,
The King's University 	National 	Charismatic evangelical school in Southlake, TX, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth. Spawn of the non-denominational Gateway megachurch, also based in Southlake. Offers Associate's up to doctoral programsThe King's University: Academics in various subjects, none of them secular; notably, they have an entire school of "Messianic Jewish Studies," providing multiple undergraduate degrees, several Master's degree concentrations Ironically, one of these concentrations, for their Master's in Practical Theology program, is in "Antisemitism and Jewish Advocacy." Do they teach anything about the antisemitic implications of gentiles pushing Jewish people to accept Jesus as the Messiah? Maybe just to perpetuate it. and a Doctor of Ministry concentration.The King's University: Messianic Jewish Studies Program Follows the Texas Core Curriculum, except you can only take Christian ethics and philosophy courses, with an additional 15 hours of Bible study and five hours of ministerial practicum required for all undergrads.The King's University: Core Curriculum Carl Lentz of former Hillsong infamy studied here while the school still used its original name, "The King's College and Seminary."New York Post: "Justin Bieber's hipster pastor: 'I'm praying for his boy to make it'"The King's University: History
Liberty University 	RegionalLiberty University Institutional Accreditation. "Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees. " liberty.edu. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. 	The progeny of Jerry Falwell. Also has a College of Osteopathic Medicine that holds candidate status with the American Osteopathic Association.
Loma Linda University 	RegionalWACS Accreditation. llu.edu. "Loma Linda University (LLU) is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)." Retrieved on 24 September 2015. 	A Seventh Day Adventist Church school and home to the Geoscience Research Institute, an organization that advocates a creationist viewpoint in earth sciences and publishes pseudojournals; offers programs in medicine, behavioral sciences, dentistry, pharmacy, health, and religion. Students are required to take Seventh-day Adventist theology courses.
Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary 	UnaccreditedAccreditation & Affiliation at lbu.edu. "LBU has never sought government accreditation due to the nature of the educational services we provide. Our mission is and always has been to train people for ministry. Because of our strong belief in the separation of powers, we have never invited government oversight of our programs." 	A Baptist diploma mill located in Shreveport, Louisiana. Carl Baugh, young earth creationist and pseudoscientist, claims a Ph.D. in Theology from this school.Reading, Writing and Jesus; What nearby schools don’t know about the Bible class they soon may be teaching. Archived from the original at Nashville Scene, 19 October 2006. "While there are a few reputable legal and theological minds from solid universities associated with the group, they are far outnumbered by the likes of Carl Baugh, who holds a Ph.D. in theology from Louisiana Baptist University, an unaccredited online school."
Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary 	National 	An obscure Baptist college that "teaches the pre-tribulational rapture of the church, the pre-millennial return of the Lord, and interprets the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel, the tribulation period and the millennial kingdom of Christ literally."Seminary academic programs. msbbcs.edu. Retrieved on 6 September 2017.
Maranatha Baptist University 	RegionalMaranantha Baptist University Accreditation. "Since 1993, Maranatha has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission... part of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. " Retrieved on 19 March 2017. 	Rules modeled after Bob Jones University and Pensacola Christian College
The Master's University 	RegionalThe Master's College Accreditations. Archived from the original at masters.edu. "The Master's University is accredited to award bachelor's and master's degrees by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges..." 	A fundamentalist Baptist school headed by young earth creationist and evangelical megachurch leader John F. MacArthur. The seminary program's accreditation was placed on probation in 2018 after serious issues in governance were exposed. MacArthur described these events as effort "orchestrated, if not by humans, by Satan himself."John MacArthur to students questioning accreditation problems: 'Keep your mouth shut' christianpost.com, 5 December 2018.
New Covenant International University & Theological Seminary 	UnaccreditedNew Covenant International University & Theological Seminary 2014-2018 catalog. newcovenantinternational.squarespace.com. Page 18. Florida Statute 2009 Title XLVIII Chapter 1005.06.(1) (f)[F.S.] enables religious educational institutions to operate by sworn affidavit with exemption from state government control and determination of curriculum or accreditation and licensure demands. Retrieved on 17 October 2015. 	A diploma mill operating under a religious exemption in the state of Florida
New Eden School of Natural Health 	Unaccredited 	An unaccredited distance learning school that teaches alternative medicine woo. Unlike many alternative medicine schools, it teaches Christian creationism. New Eden also has sketchy affiliations with alternative medicine groups and Christian churches.
Oral Roberts University 	Regional Oral Roberts University Accreditation. www.oru.edu. Retrieved on 6 December 2017. 	Weird, evangelical cargo cult college with a long list of scandals and smarmy behavior attributed to the spawn of its founder.
Oval Bible College 	UnaccreditedOval Bible College is accredited by the National Bible College Association, an unaccredited accreditation authority. National Bible College Association (NBCA) Member List. Retrieved on 27 December 2015. 	A creationist diploma mill based in Lake Charles, Louisiana that operates a distance learning web site. They offer a range of low cost, fake degrees from the associate to doctoral level. A PhD costs US$500, but if you pay up front, this is reduced to US$375.Financial info, ovalbiblecollege.com. They have no classes or faculty. Course material consists of audio CDs and PDF files sent to the student.Oval Bible College Catalog, 2018. ovalbiblecollege.com. No faculty is listed in the catalog or on the web site. They claim accreditation from the National Bible College Association, an accreditation mill.
Ozark Bible Institute and College 	Unaccredited 	A Bible school in Missouri that operates under an evangelical version of Sharia Law. For example, women are forced to dress as if they were in the 17th Century.College Handbook, Ozark Bible Institute and College, 2011.
Patrick Henry College 	National 	An unsavory advanced high school training camp for homeschoolers in Virginia
Patriot Bible University 	UnaccreditedPatriot Bible University claims accreditation by the Accrediting Commission International (ACI), an unaccredited accreditation authority. Retrieved on 4 September 2016.Accrediting Commission International (ACI) is not recognized as an accreditation authority by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, the two institutions responsible for recognizing educational accrediting institutions in the United States. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. 	Dr. Dino's alma mater
Pensacola Christian College 	NationalTransnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Members. tracs.org. Retrieved on 9 April 2019. 	An unsavory fundamentalist, independent Baptist institution in Florida
Phoenix University of Theology International 	UnaccreditedScripture rebuttal, accreditation, alumnus professor. phxut.org. Retrieved on 28 October 2016. "Accredited by AICCS the Association of Independent Christian Colleges and Seminaries...We believed that most accredited institutions have drifted far from the classical Biblical principles of sound doctrine and scholastic pragmatism that was originally their approach to education. They have turned away from performance and competency based education, with a focus on the mastery of skills, to a government mandated academic emphasis based on secular, socio-political, and economic theories gained through classroom indoctrination."	Assigns credits towards fake degrees based on "life experience." Claims accreditation from the Association of Independent Christian Colleges and Seminaries, a pseudo-accreditation authority, while simultaneously demeaning academic accreditation.AICCS Disclaimer. Retrieved on 28 October 2016. "Because of the AICCS Board of Directors' convictions in support of religious freedom, Christian liberty, and the separation of church and state, AICCS has never applied for affiliation with any federal government agency. AICCS, therefore, is not recognized by the United States Department of Education."
Regent University 	RegionalRegent University Accreditation. regent.edu. "Regent University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associates, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees." regent.edu. Retrieved on 23 September 2015. 	The progeny of Pat Robertson
San Diego Christian College 	RegionalSan Diego Christian College Accreditation. sdcc.edu. "San Diego Christian College is accredited by the Senior Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges." Retrieved on 24 September 2015. 	A school with a strict creationist stance; spawned the Institute for Creation Research
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 	RegionalSouthwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Accreditation. swbts.edu. "Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees." Retrieved on 21 November 2015. 	Intelligent Design proponent William Dembski has been associated with the seminary. It is located in Fort Worth, Texas and is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - What We Believe. swbts.edu. Retrieved on 28 October 2016.
Jimmy Swaggart Bible College 	UnaccreditedFAQ at Jimmy Swaggart Bible College. 	A Pentecostal diploma mill run by Jimmy Swaggart's grandson Gabriel, and part of the younger Swaggart's Crossfire Ministries.Crossfire Ministries, gabrielswaggart.org. They offer associate and bachelor degrees in "Biblical studies." As part of the Swaggart family empire, they spam the masses using infomercials on their Sonlife Broadcasting Network.About Sonlife TV. "Generation of the Cross with Gabriel Swaggart" claims to be "a live, interactive Bible Study", but is in reality an informercial for Jimmy Swaggart Bible College.
University of South Los Angeles 	National 	An odd mixture of Christianity and alternative medicine woo.
Wheaton College (Illinois) The other one, in Massachusetts, appears to accept evolution.	RegionalWheaton College Accreditations. wheaton.edu. Retrieved on 16 October 2015. 	Maintains a strict Biblical inerrancy doctrineWheaton College Statement of Faith and Educational Purpose. wheaton.edu. Retrieved on 16 October 2015.
==See also==
*Academic accreditation
*Acceptance of evolution in Christian institutions of higher education
==External links==
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==Notes==
==References==
Category:Christian fundamentalism
Category:Education
Category:Fundamentalist Christian organizations