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Affiliations
Bethel College is affiliated with Colleges of Distinction, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and Mennonite Church USA. Learn more about Bethel's affiliations.
Fast Facts
Mission: Bethel College seeks to be a diverse community of learners committed to searching for authentic faith and academic achievement, providing rigorous instruction in the liberal arts and selected professional areas and inspiring intellectual, cultural and spiritual leaders for church and society.
| The Basics | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 |
| Type | 4-year liberal arts |
| Church affiliation | Mennonite Church USA (Independent Corporation and Board) |
| Location | North Newton, Kan. (adjacent to Newton, Kan., pop. 19,000) |
| Campus | 90 acres |
| Miles to Wichita | 28 |
| Miles to major metropolitan cities | Kansas City: 180; Oklahoma City: 184; Denver: 490; Omaha: 303 |
| Newest campus additions | $5.5 million sports complex (2005); $5 million Krehbiel Science Center and Mabee Observatory (2002) |
| Honors | |
| Overall Ranking | The only Kansas private college to be ranked in Forbes.com’s listing of “America’s Best Colleges” for 2010, one of only two Kansas colleges listed in Colleges of Distinction 2010-11, and one of only two Kansas private colleges ranked in the top tier of U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges category |
| Forensics | One of seven colleges or universities that have sent students to the American Forensics Association’s National Individual Events Tournament every year since its beginning in 1978 |
| Character | A Templeton Character Building College and one of only eight colleges to be listed in Mother Jones as a college that combines "great values with good value" |
| Service | One of only eight Kansas colleges, and one of only three private liberal arts institutions in the state, to be recognized as part of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll |
| Biomedical Science | In 1996, 2003 and 2007, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has recognized Bethel College for the high number of its science majors who go on to earn M.D. degrees and/or Ph.D. degrees in the sciences. |
| After Bethel | |
| Job placement rate for teacher education graduates in 2007 | 90% |
| Teacher education graduates who passed licensing exam in 2008 | 100% |
| Biology and natural science graduates who successfully pursued Ph.D. and/or M.D. degrees (since 1987) | approximately 50% |
| Social work graduates who passed licensing exam on first attempt | more than 95% |
| Graduate School | 1 out of every 17 graduates earns a doctoral degree, ranking Bethel first in the state and 92nd in the nation in percentage of bachelor degree students who go on to earn a Ph.D. |
| Academic Excellence | |
| Degrees | Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Social Work |
| Areas of Study | Art, Athletic Training, Bible and Religion, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Clinical and Counseling Studies, Coaching, Communication Arts, Computer Science, Conflict Resolution, Elementary Education, German, Health and Physical Education, History, Human Services, Literary Studies, Mathematical Sciences, Music, Natural Sciences, Neuroscience, Nursing, Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Pre-Engineering, Pre-Law, Pre-Medical Studies, Social Work, Spanish, Youth Ministry. Bethel offers teacher licensure in secondary education for 10 majors. |
| Study and travel abroad | Study abroad programs at 19 colleges and universities in 17 countries, including – Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, Northern Ireland and Spain. |
| Calendar | two 16-week terms (fall and spring); 4-week January interterm; summer term |
| Average class size | 20 |
| Graduation requirements include | an undergraduate research project, a public performance and/or an internship |
| Intentional Caring Community | |
| Faculty Profile | |
| Full-time | 40 |
| Part-time | 20 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 9:1 |
| Student Body Profile | |
| Enrollment | 476 |
| States represented | 26 |
| Other countries represented | 10 |
| Residential | 77% of traditional-age students live on campus in one of three residence halls |
| Freshman class (2010-11) | average ACT score 23.4; 21% in top 10% of high school class; 48% in top 25% of high school class |
| Opportunities for Participation | |
| 14 varsity intercollegiate sports under the auspices of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics-Division II, including: | football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s track and field, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s softball and men’s and women’s cross country; for recent, specific awards, see the Athletics website. |
| Facilities | Thresher Stadium, Joe W. Goering Field and Herbert Schmidt Track; Thresher Gymnasium, Memorial Hall; tennis courts; practice fields; biking/walking/running paths; cardio equipment and weight rooms |
| Mascot | Thresher (What is a Thresher?) |
| Colors | Maroon and gray |
| Intramural sports | More than a dozen options |
| Clubs and organizations | Nearly 50 options |
| Forensics | Award-winning forensics and debate team |
| Theater | Opportunities to perform on stage or behind the scenes in plays and musicals |
| Music | Choral ensembles, jazz ensembles, chamber groups, orchestra, private lessons, community music groups and coffeehouse performance opportunities. In 2009 and 2010, Bethel jazz groups have been selected to perform at the state conference of the Kansas Music Educators Association. Read more about opportunities for involvement. |
| Spiritual Life | |
| Affiliation | Mennonite Church USA |
| Other backgrounds | Though Mennonites represent the largest single denomination at Bethel, more than half of our students come from backgrounds other than Mennonite. |
| Available activities | Bible study groups, praise and worship services, hymn sings, weekly chapel services and regular service opportunities |