Moody Bible Institute

Private · Moderately Selective · IL

Photo: Son of thunder (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIL · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,510

Student:faculty14:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate46.4%

6-yr grad rate62.3%

Drop-out rate16.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$16k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity53.3%

Gender diversity45.8%

International8.3%

IdentityInterdenominational

Overview

Moody Bible Institute, on Chicago's Near North Side, is devoted entirely to ministry training within a conservative evangelical tradition. It has historically offered undergraduate education without tuition charges, funded instead through donor support — a distinctive model tied closely to its mission of preparing students for vocational ministry regardless of financial means.

Academics

Biblical studies and pastoral ministry form the academic core, with every student engaging deeply in scripture and theology regardless of their specific major. Missionary aviation, taught at Moody's Spokane, Washington site, is a genuinely unusual program that trains pilots and mechanics for mission-field flying — a niche Moody has occupied for decades.

Campus & student life

Life at Moody is organized around spiritual formation as much as academics; chapel attendance, ministry practicums, and a shared conservative evangelical culture shape daily campus life more than at a typical college. The Near North Side location puts students in the middle of Chicago, a striking contrast to the insular, faith-centered community inside the institute's walls.

Getting in

Admission includes a statement of Christian faith and doctrinal agreement in addition to academic review, since the institute exists specifically to prepare students for ministry and expects incoming students to already hold a personal commitment to that path.

Worth knowing

Moody's radio network and publishing arm (Moody Press, Moody Radio) extend the institute's influence well beyond its campus and are themselves major employers of graduates in Christian media and communications.

moody.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate82.7%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying