Spring Arbor University ranks among the top colleges and universities in Midwest

Spring Arbor University: 150 Years of Christ-Centered Education

While many things have changed at Spring Arbor University since 1873, some things have remained the same – like our commitment to providing an intentionally Christ-centered education for all. e belief that spiritual growth goes hand in hand with academic discovery has been core to our mission for 150 years.

Generations of Spring Arbor students and alumni share stories of a welcoming campus community, meaningful historical traditions, individual life transformation, lifelong friendships, and the unique way students are equipped to love and serve others in their personal and professional lives. Each story reinforces the legacy of unique learning experiences, dedicated faculty and sta , and total commitment to Jesus Christ as the perspective for learning rooted at the heart of Spring Arbor from the beginning.

Spring Arbor University consistently ranks among the top colleges and universities in the U.S. Midwest, and 97% of graduates report that they are employed, enrolled in graduate school, or are otherwise happy with where their degree has led them. SAU graduates are doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists, business executives, and leaders in hundreds of elds - all shining the light of Christ into the world.

Established in 1873, Spring Arbor University’s story began with Edward Payson “E.P.” Hart, a Free Methodist evangelist, and his desire to form “a school devoted to promoting earnest Christianity and secured a position as a teacher for the Inkster School District, later becoming a school social worker. Johnson went on to distinguish herself as a professional and an activist – inspiring countless people, especially those of her race. and sound, solid learning.” As de ned by Hart, the goal of Spring Arbor was to create access to a Christian education for any student, regardless of age, ethnicity, nancial status, gender, physical abilities, race, or religion — an idea that is still core to the mission at SAU today. Providing access for all students to a high-quality, Christ-centered liberal arts education weaves throughout the school’s 150-year history. en, less than two decades later, Spring Arbor’s rst black student, Olive Johnson (class of 1924), enrolled at Spring Arbor. Olive became a well-respected and beloved student at Spring Arbor. A er graduating, she found it di cult to nd employment because of her race, but she persevered e results were overwhelming – the recidivism rates for Spring Arbor graduates were drastically lower than the national average, proving that access to college courses taught by compassionate professors who shared their love of knowledge and Jesus Christ genuinely made a di erence in prisoner rehabilitation.

Spring Arbor’s passion for serving minority students continued during the “long, hot summer of 1967” when race riots broke out in the streets of Detroit. Amid the civil unrest, admissions reps and administrators from Spring Arbor drove to Detroit to personally meet with black high school students and invite them to join SAU’s campus.

Spring Arbor saw an additional avenue to provide access to the underserved in 1979 with the development of the Prisoner Education Program (PEP), which allowed inmates at the Southern Michigan State Prison the ability to earn a college degree. Spring Arbor faculty taught classes from a Christ-centered perspective and built a program that quickly became the nation’s largest four-year college degree program for inmates.

Enrolled adults could continue working in their eld while completing their degrees at sites conveniently located in or near their communities. Now called Adult & Graduate programs, this access to education for adult learners is still going strong today with over 20,000 alumni and a variety of adult undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs o ered online, in person, or in a hybrid format.

In recent years, Spring Arbor University has seen signi cant change and growth. Long known as an excellent school for educators and pastors, in the past decade, SAU added over a dozen new elds of study, including STEM-forward programs such as residential nursing, electrical and mechanical engineering, and cybersecurity. ese programs, along with all other areas of study at SAU, provide students the unique opportunity to be educated in their chosen elds through the unique lens of Christ as the perspective for learning.

When Spring Arbor was rst established, education outside of the home was primarily reserved for men. However, understanding both the individual and societal impact education can have, Spring Arbor not only allowed women to enroll, but the rst two graduates from Spring Arbor in 1881, Alice Felt and Lillian Te , were both women.

Access to a Christ-centered education for international and minority students has also always been a priority for Spring Arbor. Spring Arbor’s rst international student, Peter Magubeni (class of 1907), was referred by Free Methodist missionaries and came to Spring Arbor from South Africa in 1903, when opportunities for international students to study in the United States were limited.

Inspired by the success of PEP, Spring Arbor looked for additional ways to provide access to a Christ-centered education to even more people groups. In the early 1980s, an adult degree-completion program brought Christ-centered education to sites around Michigan and northern Ohio.

Along with receiving a top-tier liberal arts education, Spring Arbor University students are challenged to grow their relationship with Jesus Christ, embrace academic challenges, and become critical participants in the world around them. Spring Arbor University remains a stronghold – deeply rooted in their founding principles and providing access to a Christ-centered education for students from all walks of life. During our Sesquicentennial year, Spring Arbor University celebrates the pioneering spirit of the people and stories of our rst 150 years, and eagerly anticipates the amazing things God has in store for the future of SAU.