Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

What Council for Christian Colleges & Universities does

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit higher education association founded in 1976 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It represents more than 180 Christ-centered accredited colleges and universities across more than 20 countries, including over 150 institutions in the U.S. and Canada and 30+ international affiliates. The organization operates as the leading advocacy voice for Christian higher education in the U.S., engaging Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branch on issues including religious liberty, institutional autonomy, and accreditation.

CCCU delivers its services through a portfolio of member-benefit programs rather than a single product. Core offerings include: (1) Global Ed study-abroad programs, anchored by the Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) program; (2) the Career Center, a job-matching platform listing 153+ open positions and 1,400+ resumes from job seekers; (3) Advance Magazine, a bi-annual print and digital publication; (4) the Center for Faith & Learning, which provides faith-integration resources for faculty; (5) Leadership Development Institute and New Presidents Institute, which have produced 15+ college presidents and 45+ vice presidents over 25+ years; (6) annual conferences including the Presidents Conference and Ministry Leadership Summit; (7) research initiatives including the 2026 Sustainability Index co-developed with Education Alliance; and (8) Campus & Faculty Grants supported by funders such as the John Templeton Foundation and M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.

The revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix: annual recurring membership dues from 180+ institutions (primary), donations and unrestricted gifts, conference and event fees, Career Center job-posting subscriptions, and sponsorship/advertising in Advance Magazine and at events. The organization has 51-100 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Phil Schubert (President of Abilene Christian University), with David A. Hoag, Ph.D. serving as eighth president since 2024.

Name

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

Legal name

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

Website

https://cccu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit higher education association founded in 1976, serving 180+ Christ-centered accredited colleges and universities across 20+ countries through advocacy, professional development, global study programs, research, and career services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Association Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF), Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Higher education association
• Faith-based education
• Educational advocacy services
• Professional development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CCCU generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by affiliated Christian colleges and universities. The organization represents more than 180 member institutions worldwide.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization solicits unrestricted gifts and donations to support advocacy, experiential education, professional development, and research initiatives. Donations provide flexibility in responding to organizational priorities.
3. Conference and Event Fees: Revenue generated from numerous conferences including Presidents Conference, New Presidents Institute, Doctoral Education Conference, and other professional development events.
4. Career Center Services: The CCCU Career Center connects job seekers with positions at Christian higher education institutions. The platform lists over 153 current open positions and serves member institutions seeking to fill roles.
5. Sponsorship and Advertising: The organization offers sponsorship and advertising opportunities at events and in publications including Advance Magazine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association that provides advocacy, professional development programs, networking, and shared services to more than 180 member Christian colleges and universities across 20 countries. Its portfolio includes the Career Center job-matching platform, GlobalEd off-campus study programs (including SCIO in Oxford), the Advance Magazine publication, Leadership Development Institute and New Presidents Institute training programs, conferences and events, faculty and campus grants, and research initiatives such as the Sustainability Index. The CCCU earns revenue primarily through annual membership dues paid by member institutions, supplemented by donations, conference fees, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a higher education association, not a single product company. It offers a portfolio of member services including Global Ed off-campus study programs (including the flagship Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford), Career Center job placement services, Advance Magazine publication, the Center for Faith & Learning initiative, Leadership Development Institute and New Presidents Institute training programs, conferences and events, networking communities, research initiatives including the Sustainability Index, and grant programs for faculty and campuses. These services work together to advance Christian higher education by providing advocacy, professional development, research, and collaborative opportunities for its 180+ member institutions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advance Magazine: Publication featuring engaging articles, timely updates for higher education and faith-based institutions, published each fall and spring
• CCCU GlobalEd
• Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO)
• Leadership Development Institute (LDI)
• New Presidents Institute
• Sustainability Index

Products and services

• CCCU Membership Institutional membership in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities providing more than 180 Christ-centered colleges and universities access to advocacy, professional development programs, networking communities, and shared services. Membership is organized by institutional categories and supports the Christ-centered mission of member institutions across 20 countries.
• CCCU Career Center Online job-matching service that connects job seekers with current open positions at Christian higher education institutions, church ministries, and faith-based nonprofits, with over 150 current open positions and 1,400+ resumes available. Targeted at individuals seeking meaningful faith-aligned careers and member institutions seeking to fill roles.
• CCCU GlobalEd (including SCIO) Collection of faith-integrated, off-campus study programs fostering intellectual, cultural, vocational, and spiritual growth in students, with the flagship Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) program providing semester and summer terms with Oxford scholars and access to Oxford libraries.
• Advance Magazine Bi-annual publication featuring engaging articles, timely updates for higher education and faith-based institutions, and resources that equip and support CCCU institutions, available in print, online articles, and interactive digital flip-book formats.
• Center for Faith & Learning Initiative providing resources and programs for faculty and leaders on faith-learning integration at Christian college campuses, supporting the Christ-centered academic mission of member institutions.
• Leadership Development Institute (LDI) Year-long leadership development program nurturing the capacity and character of emerging leaders in Christian higher education, with documented outcomes of producing more than 15 college presidents and more than 45 vice presidents across member institutions.
• New Presidents Institute (NPI) Program started in 1995 to prepare and support new presidents of Christian colleges and universities within the CCCU network.
• CCCU Conferences and Events Numerous conferences providing campus leaders with faith-centered professional development, including the annual Presidents Conference, New Presidents Institute, Doctoral Education Conference, Ministry Leadership Summit, and 2027 CCCU Christian Higher Ed Summit. Targeted at institutional leaders, faculty, and administrators at member institutions.
• CCCU Networking Communities Professional networking groups and communities for enrollment, advancement, and other administrative functions serving CCCU member institutions.
• CCCU Research Initiatives Research programs including the Sustainability Index, market research studies conducted with NACCAP, and collaborative assessment projects that provide data and analytical resources to member institutions.
• Campus and Faculty Grants Grant programs supporting faculty research and professional development at CCCU member institutions, including annual Faculty Research Grants and networking grants.
• CCCU Online Course Sharing Online consortium allowing participating member institutions to share online courses to expand curricular offerings with minimal expense.
• Sustainability Index Confidential benchmarking tool developed with Education Alliance to help presidents and boards of member institutions assess institutional sustainability using financial resiliency and educational quality metrics.
• CCCU Advocacy Services Advocacy representation across the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the U.S. government on issues affecting Christian higher education, including religious liberty, institutional autonomy, and accreditation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leadership Development Institutes have produced 15+ college presidents and 45+ vice presidents over 25+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NACCAP (North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCCU partnered with NACCAP to commission and release the 2025 Market Research Study conducted by JM Partner Solutions. The study documents market dynamics for Christian higher education with findings including that 70% of students know someone who attended a Christian college, and 55% of inquiry students have ruled out a college due to cost. More than 60 member institutions from both organizations participated in the research.
• JM Partner SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHigher education advisory firm that partnered with CCCU and NACCAP to conduct the comprehensive 2025 Market Research Study. The firm partners with colleges and universities to strengthen enrollment, marketing, and institutional strategy.
• ZeeMeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent outreach platform that served as one of the sponsors for the 2025 NACCAP/CCCU market research study, helping recruit representative survey respondents.
• Education Alliance (Dr. James Samels)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dr. James Samels, founder and CEO of Education Alliance and the Samels Group, to develop the Sustainability Index. The tool helps member institution boards and presidents assess institutional sustainability using publicly available data, dividing analysis into Financial Resiliency and Educational Quality and Student Success categories.
• Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO)coreOthersFaith-integrated study abroad program in Oxford, UK. SCIO brings outstanding students to Oxford's world-class libraries with over 13 million books. Students meet with acclaimed Oxford scholars, engage in scholarly discussions, and produce essays while conducting undergraduate research. The program includes the Logos programme for postgraduates and the Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities project.
• Design Group InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRon Mahurin, newly appointed Senior Fellow for Leadership, Governance, and Institutional Strategy, serves as a Senior Consultant with Design Group International, a firm specializing in process consulting and organizational change leadership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU): NAICU represents private nonprofit colleges and universities on federal policy, financial aid, and accreditation issues. Like CCCU, it is Washington D.C.-based, focused on advocacy, and serves independent higher education institutions across the U.S.
• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC): CIC is a membership association of independent nonprofit colleges and universities that provides leadership programs, cost-saving programs, and advocacy. It serves a similar constituency of small-to-mid-sized private institutions and competes for the same advocacy and professional-development mindshare.
• Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU): ACCU is the closest direct peer—a higher education membership association representing Catholic and Catholic-affiliated colleges and universities in the U.S. It provides advocacy, professional development, and conferences analogous to CCCU's model, but serves the Catholic tradition rather than the broader Christian/evangelical mission.
• NACCAP (North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals): NACCAP is a partner organization serving 400+ Christian institutions including K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. It directly collaborated with CCCU on the 2025 Market Research Study and competes for some of the same admissions and enrollment-services audience.

Emerging players

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: InterVarsity operates faith-based programs on college campuses and partners with CCCU members on student development and faculty ministry, providing adjacent faith-integration services rather than direct institutional advocacy.
• Society for Classical Learning: Society for Classical Learning supports classical Christian education across K-12 and higher education, including several CCCU members. It overlaps on faith-learning integration programming but operates at a smaller scale and narrower scope than CCCU.

Broad incumbents

• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): HACU represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions and provides advocacy, capacity-building, and professional development. Like CCCU, it is a mission-driven higher education association advocating for member institutions in Washington, D.C.
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA): NAIA governs athletics for small colleges including many Christian institutions. While its mission is athletics rather than religious identity, its membership base overlaps substantially with CCCU's and it provides similar shared-services benefits.
• American Council on Education (ACE): ACE is the larger, broader higher education umbrella association representing all types of accredited U.S. institutions. It overlaps with CCCU on advocacy and leadership development but does not specialize in faith-based institutions.

Regional players

• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI): ACSI represents Christian schools globally with a K-12 focus rather than higher education. It serves as a feeder into CCCU's member institutions and operates with a similar faith-based association model, professional development, and advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCCUorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/CCCUvideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCCUorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-for-christian-colleges-&-universities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council for Christian Colleges & Universities