
Trinity Christian College is a private Christian college founded in 1959 in Palos Heights, Illinois. It began as a two-year institution established by Christians in the Reformed tradition who wanted a college education shaped by their faith.
The college later expanded to offer four-year degrees, a change that explains its present identity as a primarily undergraduate institution. Its religious origins remain relevant: students considering Trinity are choosing not only a set of majors but also a college that explicitly connects academic study with Christian beliefs and service.
Trinity Christian College offers liberal arts and career-oriented study rather than organizing its programs around a large university system of separate colleges. Its academic offerings span fields such as education, nursing, business, psychology, biology, communication, social work, and the arts.
Prospective students should use the current academic catalog to distinguish a major from a concentration, minor, or pre-professional pathway. That distinction matters in fields such as health care and education, where completing a degree does not necessarily satisfy every requirement for a professional license. Students comparing graduate options should likewise check the specific credential, format, and admission requirements rather than assume that every undergraduate subject has a corresponding graduate program.
The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 10 to 1. That institution-wide measure suggests a relatively small academic setting, but it does not establish the size or availability of any particular course.
Trinity Christian College is in Palos Heights, a suburb southwest of Chicago. Its location offers a suburban campus setting while leaving Chicago-area employers, cultural institutions, and internship sites within regional reach.
Commuting is an important part of campus life: a reported 54% of students commute. Applicants planning to do so should consider their actual travel time, parking needs, and the hours of classes or campus activities they hope to attend. First-year students are permitted to register or park a car on campus. Chicago Midway is the nearest major airport identified in institutional information, a practical consideration for students traveling from farther away.
Trinity Christian College states its educational mission in explicitly Christian terms, drawing on the Reformed tradition and connecting learning with faith, service, and engagement in the wider world. This is a description of the college's stated purpose, not a measure of every student's experience.
For applicants, the practical question is how that identity appears in the current curriculum and daily life. Review the catalog's general-education and religion requirements, along with expectations for chapel or other faith-related activities, before enrolling. Students need not infer from the college's name alone which activities are required and which are voluntary.
Name of the institution
Trinity Christian CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000School type
Comprehensive higher education institutionMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1959Trinity Christian College is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Post-master's certificateData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.