Crossroads Bible College

What Crossroads Bible College does

College of Biblical Studies (CBS), formerly known as Crossroads Bible College following a 2019 merger, is a private, nonprofit theological education institution founded in 1976 in Houston, Texas by Rev. Ernest L. Mays. It delivers associate and bachelor's degrees plus Bible certificates through two physical campuses (Houston headquarters and Indianapolis at the Pyramids at College Park) and an online Global Campus, with a former Fort Wayne campus closed in July 2024. The institution is dually accredited by SACSCOC (regional, granted 2013) and ABHE (national, reaffirmed 2013) and holds FERPA-compliant student data practices.

The core product portfolio spans associate and bachelor's degree programs, Bible certificates, Credit for Life Experience, dual credit pathways for high schoolers, discipleship coaching, and spiritual formation courses. Delivery is multi-modal: in-person instruction at Houston and Indianapolis, online via the Global Campus, and a Spanish-language academic catalog serving Spanish-speaking learners. Technology consists of an online learning platform and a MyCBS student portal; no APIs, integrations, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is tuition and fee-based, supplemented by institutional financial aid, the Emerging Leaders Scholarship, veterans benefits, and donations through a "Give – 50 Years" fundraising campaign. GTM is community-led, relying on admissions outreach, church partnerships, and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Soundcloud, LinkedIn). The institution has equipped over 26,000 multi-ethnic students since inception under President Dr. William Blocker, who assumed the role in July 2012 and led the 2019 Crossroads merger.

Name

Crossroads Bible College

Legal name

College of Biblical Studies

Website

https://crossroads.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The College of Biblical Studies (formerly Crossroads Bible College) is a Houston-based nonprofit theological institution offering associate and bachelor's degrees and Bible certificates to multi-ethnic students, particularly inner-city pastors and lay leaders, through on-campus locations and an online Global Campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and fees for associate and bachelor's degree programs as well as Bible certificates.
2. Financial Aid and Scholarships: Institutional financial aid programs including the Emerging Leaders Scholarship, veterans benefits, and various scholarships to support student enrollment.
3. Credit for Life Experience: Credit awarded for prior learning and life experience, potentially generating additional tuition revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

No source content was provided in the input to describe the company's core offerings. The block between the 'Information starts here' and 'Information ends here' markers was empty.

Product overview

College of Biblical Studies (CBS), formerly Crossroads Bible College following a 2019 merger, operates as a multi-campus theological education institution offering a unified portfolio of biblical and theological degree programs. The core offerings include associate and bachelor's degree programs plus Bible certificates, delivered through multiple modalities: on-site instruction at Houston and Indianapolis campuses, and online/Global Campus platforms. Supporting modules include Credit for Life Experience, Dual Credit programs, Discipleship Coaching, and Spiritual Formation courses. The institution is regionally accredited by SACSCOC and nationally accredited by ABHE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 26,000 multi-ethnic students equipped through CBS teaching ministry

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Crossroads Bible CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019In July 2019, Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis merged with the College of Biblical Studies in Houston. This merger combined two institutions with a shared goal of bringing quality biblical higher education to multiethnic populations. The merger expanded opportunities for Crossroads students including more degree programs, lower tuition, expanded scholarships, regional accreditation, and updated technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dallas Theological Seminary: Texas-based theological graduate school offering master's and doctoral biblical/theological degrees with hybrid online options. Comparable as a regionally and theologically accredited institution delivering pastoral and lay-leader training in the same Sun Belt geography as CBS.
• Anderson University (Indiana): Indiana-based Christian university offering associate, bachelor's, and graduate programs with online modalities. Comparable as a regionally accredited, faith-rooted institution serving the same Indiana adult-learner and ministry-leader market as CBS's Indianapolis campus.
• Indiana Wesleyan University: Marion, Indiana-based Christian university with significant online enrollment and adult-leader programs. Comparable as a regionally accredited, faith-based institution with strong online and adult-learner channels serving Indiana-based students overlapping CBS's Indianapolis catchment.
• Houston Christian University: Houston-based Christian university offering undergraduate and graduate programs with faith-based curriculum and online options. Comparable as a SACSCOC-accredited faith-based higher education institution operating in the same Houston market as CBS's flagship campus.
• Moody Bible Institute: Chicago-based Bible college and theological seminary offering undergraduate and graduate biblical degrees, dual credit, and online learning. Directly comparable as an accredited (ABHE/HLC) Bible-focused institution serving a multi-platform residential and online audience.
• Maranatha Baptist University: Wisconsin-based Baptist Bible college offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees with Bible emphasis and accredited by ABHE and HLC. Comparable as a small, faith-rooted, dual-accredited Bible college competing for similar pastoral-leadership and lay-learner enrollment.
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: Fort Worth-based Baptist theological seminary with undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs plus online/distance learning. Comparable as a Texas-headquartered, accredited Bible/theology institution that trains pastors and ministry leaders across denominations and modalities.

Emerging players

• Purdue University Global: Regionally accredited online-focused university serving adult and working learners, including some with religious-affiliated curricula. Comparable as a competitor for CBS's Global Campus online adult learners and as an alternative-accredited online option for the Indianapolis regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: Large accredited Christian university with a global online program serving tens of thousands of distance learners in ministry and theological tracks. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for the same online adult-learner and ministry-student pool but at significantly larger scale than CBS.
• Biola University: California-based Christian university offering undergraduate and seminary degrees with online options. Comparable as a regionally accredited faith-based institution whose Talbot School of Theology and online programs target the same Bible-credential-seeking adult learner segment as CBS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cbshouston
• Facebookfacebook.com/251295154902595
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crossroads-bible-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/college_of_biblical_studies
• Xx.com/crossroads_b_c

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crossroads Bible College