
Salem, ORprivate nonprofitcorban.edu
Admit rate has ranged 35%–90% over the last 5 years — notably volatile, though the latest figure above (94%) falls outside that window. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Corban University is a small, private Christian liberal arts school in Salem, Oregon, where faith isn't just an extracurricular—it's the curriculum's core. Every student, regardless of major, graduates with a Bible minor, framing professional training within a distinctively evangelical worldview. The campus is residential and community-focused, with a notably accessible admissions process that emphasizes fit over cutthroat selectivity.
Test-blind — scores not considered
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Corban's admissions process is defined by its accessibility and policy. The university is not selective, with an of 94%. Standardized test scores from the SAT, ACT, or CLT are not required for admission or for financial aid consideration, though the university will consider submitted scores. For those who do submit, the middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is typically between 960 and 1100, and the average high school GPA of incoming students is 3.53. The primary academic requirement is a minimum 2.7 high school GPA (or a 2.0 college GPA for transfers). The process is straightforward, with the university actively encouraging applications for each fall cohort.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
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Corban's academic identity is built on two non-negotiable pillars: a strong liberal arts core and an integrated biblical studies component. Every undergraduate degree includes a Bible minor, ensuring that all graduates, whether in business or biology, are "well-rounded professionals" with a shared theological foundation. The university offers 54 majors, with popular programs in business administration and management, psychology, education, and English language and literature. The business administration program, for example, explicitly aims to equip students to "lead with integrity." The student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1, supporting a more personalized classroom environment. The first-year retention rate is 70%, indicating the initial academic and social fit for most students.
Life at Corban is intentionally residential and community-centric. About 57% of students live on campus in what the university promotes as spacious rooms with amenities like free laundry and community kitchens. The campus is the hub for a slate of organized activities designed to foster belonging and spiritual growth, including intramural sports, student events, clubs, service projects, and arts programs. The university has recently undertaken efforts to "reimagine student life" to further strengthen this focus on growth, engagement, and spiritual formation. Student life programming also includes events celebrating diverse cultures with food and performances. With roughly 1,200 full-time students on the Salem campus, the environment is close-knit and participatory.
Corban's six-year graduation rate is 61%. For students who persist, the median earnings ten years after entering the university are $48,917. Earlier career earnings data shows graduates making approximately $31,633 one year after graduation and about $48,850 five years after graduation. The university's own outcomes report compares its graduation rate data against a peer group of similarly sized institutions, suggesting a focus on benchmarking its performance. The first-year retention rate—a key indicator of student satisfaction and academic fit—is reported at 78% by some sources.
Corban's sticker price for a first-year student includes tuition ($38,864 for 12-18 credits), food and housing ($13,960), and fees ($1,561). However, the university works to offset this cost with institutional aid. It guarantees a scholarship of at least $9,000 for every new on-campus undergraduate student. The average institutional aid package is $23,984, which brings the average —the actual cost after grants and scholarships—down to $28,035 per year. Other sources report a net price of $26,028. is also available; Corban offers institutional grants ranging from $100 to $4,000 for students who demonstrate significant financial need via the FAFSA. The net price for federal loan recipients in 2022-2023 was $20,565.
Corban University carves out a singular niche in higher education by being unapologetically and comprehensively faith-integrated. Its defining feature isn't just having a theology department; it's the mandate that every single graduate, from every major, completes a Bible minor. This creates a unique intellectual and spiritual common ground across the entire student body, making the campus culture cohesive and purpose-driven. It's a school for students who want their professional training in business, education, or psychology explicitly framed by an evangelical Christian worldview. Coupled with a highly accessible admissions policy and a strongly residential, community-focused campus life, Corban offers a specific, all-in package for students seeking a small, faith-forward liberal arts education where spiritual formation is treated as core to the mission, not optional.