Covenant College has reached the largest traditional undergraduate enrollment in its history, with 1,074 students for the fall 2026 semester. The College’s residential undergraduate enrollment has grown nearly 25% in just three years, from 861 students in fall 2023. This growth significantly outpaces the national undergraduate enrollment which grew approximately 7.3% from fall 2022 to fall 2025 — the most recent three fall cycles for which final national data are available — based on annual enrollment figures from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
“First and foremost, we are deeply grateful to the Lord for his gracious provision of each new and returning student,” says Covenant College President Brad Voyles. “This growth reflects the Lord’s kindness to Covenant and the prayerful and diligent work of an entire campus community that has led to record recruitment and retention numbers.”
The record enrollment reflects not only several years of strong admissions results but exceptional student retention. Covenant recorded the two highest fall-to-fall retention rates in its history in the two most recently completed cycles: 91.7% and 91.8%.
Founded in 1955 and located on more than 400 acres atop scenic Lookout Mountain, Georgia, Covenant College offers a distinctly Christian liberal arts education that is both spiritually nourishing and academically challenging. As the official college of the Presbyterian Church in America, Covenant is guided by its motto, “In all things, Christ preeminent.” The college equips students for all of life — preparing them for meaningful careers, faithful service, family life, and wherever God may call them.
“At Covenant, we care about cultivating lives marked by wisdom, faithfulness, humility, and courage,” says Voyles. “That is the very heartbeat of our mission. That is why we exist — to send out Christ-like builders who are both biblically faithful and professionally excellent, builders who seek the welfare of the communities where God calls them, builders prepared to serve the church and the world in ordinary and extraordinary ways.”
“The goal is not only to teach students what the Bible says, but to train them to apply Scripture in every part of their lives,” says Dave Gambrell, Covenant’s vice president for enrollment management. “Bible classes aren’t the only area shaped by rich theology. Every class at Covenant is informed by biblical teaching.”
The college offers a robust liberal arts education, its most popular majors including Business, Psychology, Biology, Art, and Pre-engineering.
“Covenant never feels like a Bible-college or seminary, but you also are always thinking about the content of your discipline from the perspective of someone who knows Jesus as Lord of all the world and pre-eminent in all things,” says Zack Mabry ’25. “You learn to be both authentically Christian, and authentic in your discipline, without having to forsake one for the other.”
“We are especially encouraged that our growth has come not through compromise, but through leaning into our mission,” says Voyles. “Families are being drawn to a distinctly Christ-centered education and to a coherent community committed to forming the whole person through exploring and expressing the preeminence of Jesus Christ in all things.”
Learn more about Covenant College at Covenant.edu.