Bethel University

Private · Moderately Selective · MN

Photo: Mnchick894 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMN · Midwest

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,871

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate62.5%

6-yr grad rate71.4%

Drop-out rate14.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$44k

Out-of-state tuition$44k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity23.4%

Gender diversity55.1%

International0.1%

IdentityBaptist

Overview

Bethel University is a private Christian university in Arden Hills, a Twin Cities suburb, affiliated with Converge (the Baptist General Conference). It combines an evangelical Protestant identity with a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs, on a wooded campus along Lake Valentine that gives it a more secluded, retreat-like feel than its suburban location might suggest.

Academics

Nursing, education, and business are the largest and most established undergraduate programs, each taught explicitly through a Christian worldview lens integrated into coursework rather than kept separate from it. The university also maintains a seminary, which lends a visible ministry and theology presence on campus even for undergraduates outside those programs.

Campus & student life

Chapel and faith-integration expectations are part of the residential experience, and the lakeside, wooded setting supports a close-knit, largely residential community. Athletics compete at the Division III level, drawing solid campus turnout without dominating student culture.

Getting in

Applicants are typically expected to affirm or at least be comfortable with the university's evangelical Christian mission, and admissions review tends to be holistic rather than formula-driven, with essays a meaningful part of the file.

After graduation

Nursing and education graduates place readily into Twin Cities schools, hospitals, and clinics, and the university's Christian-college alumni network extends through evangelical institutions and ministries nationally as well as regionally.

Worth knowing

Faith commitment is not incidental here — daily life includes chapel and a community covenant that prospective students should read closely before enrolling, since it shapes campus culture more than at a loosely faith-affiliated school.

bethel.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate87.8%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1190–1300 · ACT 22–28

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying