I am going to walk you through what the official data—the data that every college in the United States reports to the government—say about this school. I am not going to tell you whether it is the right one. You decide that with your child, based on what he wants and what you can afford. What I can give you is one of the three pieces of that plan: who this institution really is.
Who Trinity Bible College and Graduate School is
The classification system the government uses to organize colleges in this country—called Carnegie—identifies it as a four-year institution dedicated to a single field: religious education. It is not a general-purpose school with many departments competing for attention. It is a school built around one purpose.
It is also classified as highly residential. Based on 2019-20 data, at least half of degree-seeking students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. Living on campus is not the same as paying tuition—room and board are charged separately, and we will get to those numbers—but if your child enrolls here, his daily life will probably take place on campus rather than commuting back and forth from home.
One more fact from that same system: in a separate 2021 profile, Trinity is listed among institutions that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, that does not tell you how many credits he would bring in or which ones would be accepted. Ask for that evaluation in writing before he enrolls.
Where it is, exactly. Trinity is in Ellendale, North Dakota, in Dickey County. The area around the campus is classified as remote rural, not part of a large urban area. This does not tell you how much driving is involved in daily life or where your family would live if you decided to stay close to him. If you do not live near the school, separately calculate the logistics of your child living and getting around there.
What type of institution it is. It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. IPEDS—the federal data system used here—records doctoral degrees as the highest level it reports offering and classifies it as an institution that primarily awards bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is an institutional fact, not a map of which specific programs are available today. If your child is interested in graduate study, verify the exact path for his program.
And one point worth clarifying right away: Trinity does not have any of the three special designations the government tracks—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: which student groups exist, what support is available, and, better still, speak with someone who already studies there.
A small community, and what that means
Trinity had 244 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is among the smallest schools in its peer group: compared with 941 selective private four-year schools in this census, at least nine out of ten have more students.
Of those 244 students, 144 are undergraduates and 100 are graduate students. If your child is beginning a bachelor’s degree, the number that matters to him is 144, not the total. A substantial share of this school consists of people who have already completed a degree and returned for further study.
Who your child’s classmates are. Among the undergraduates reported in fall 2023, 10 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino—a small minority. Compared with similar schools, Trinity ranks above the midpoint of the group but below the highest quartile. That comparison does not account for where in the country the school is located—and here, in a rural North Dakota town, that matters. If that campus community matters to your family, ask directly what is available: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
There are also more women than men—56 out of every 100—and few adult students: only 13 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. Overall, it is a young, small community.
How the academic year works and what students can take advantage of
The school uses a semester calendar: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual there.
What is worth knowing is that Trinity reported accepting credit from AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult education courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses, and even military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a truth that good intentions do not change: reporting that it accepts AP does not mean it grants credit for every exam. The data do not say what scores are required or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific degree. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before he enrolls. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
What it focuses on, in degree numbers. In the most recent year reported, Trinity awarded 26 bachelor’s degrees, and 17 of those 26—65 out of every 100, nearly two out of three—were in theology and religious vocations. The detailed data include only six program families. Compared with nearly one thousand similar schools, Trinity ranks in the quartile with the fewest reported program families.
This confirms what the Carnegie classification already showed us: Trinity is not a school for exploring fifteen different paths. It is a school built around a specific purpose. With few degrees awarded each year, the count can change considerably from one period to another, so if your child is interested in a particular program, ask for the last three years of data for that program, not just one year’s figure.
The student-to-faculty ratio. Trinity reports 9 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is among the lowest ratios in its peer group—it ranks in the bottom quartile, with fewer students per faculty member than three out of four similar schools. But a low ratio does not by itself guarantee small classes: it does not count seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
What structured academic pathways it offers
Trinity reports three formal opportunities: study abroad, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of its program for initial teacher certification. If any of these relates to your child’s plans, it is worth asking admissions for the specific details.
Getting into Trinity: what it requires and what it does not
Trinity does not have open admissions. It reviews several components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations tracked by this system, it marked six as required: high school transcript, GPA, class rank, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants for whom it applies. By contrast, it does not consider the specific college-preparatory course plan requested by the school, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, or whether a family member attended Trinity.
Simply put: this application is long. It has several required components, and each takes time; they cannot be assembled in one night. The published application fee is $25. The essay is required, so if your child is going to write it, he should start during the summer, not the week of the deadline. The first draft is never the one to submit.
How selective it is in practice. In the 2023 cycle, Trinity received 185 first-time applications and offered admission to 67 applicants. That is 36 out of every 100. Compared with nearly one thousand similar selective private schools, Trinity ranks on the lower side: seven out of ten schools in that group admitted a higher percentage. On the other side of that calculation are 118 applicants who did not receive an offer.
It is fine for Trinity to be on your child’s list. It should not be the only school on it. And this percentage is for the school as a whole—if your child is pursuing a particular program, ask admissions directly for that specific number.
Of those who were admitted, 69 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled. That figure has a small denominator—67 admitted students—so we will not compare it with other schools: a few decisions can change the percentage considerably from one cycle to another. Do not read it as an endorsement of the school, either; the data contain no information about why those students enrolled. If your child receives an offer, ask that same day when the deposit is due and whether the deadline can be extended while you wait for other letters. The fact that others enrolled quickly does not mean your child should sign in a rush.
About the SAT and ACT: they are optional. If your child submits them, Trinity considers them; if he does not, the application remains active. Of enrolled students, only 9 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. Among those who submitted ACT scores, the median was 22. That low submission rate does not indicate whether a score helped someone gain admission or whether it was used for scholarships.
Transfers, in both directions. Of the class that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 26 out of every 100 transferred to another school without finishing here. That is a large share, and the report does not say why they left. Because that figure comes from a very small class, it can change sharply from one year to another—ask the school for data from the last three years before using it to make a decision. In the other direction, very few students—only 7 in the fall 2023 count—came to Trinity after previously studying at another institution.
What it costs and what you might actually pay
At Trinity Bible College and Graduate School, among 8 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $18,626. Among 3 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $22,229; among 2 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,953. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (8 students) and the average for the highest-income band (2 students) is $8,327. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $20,462.
$18,626 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
None of these figures is a quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school’s website.
How students pay: scholarships, Pell, loans
The good news first: 94 out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Trinity received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something here is the norm, not the exception. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $11,736. And the Pell Grant—federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need—went to half of degree-seeking students, 50 out of every 100.
Do not read that high number as a personal promise. It is what happened with other students in 2022-23, not your probability or your amount. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the scholarship if your child’s grades fall.
Now for the part that needs to be faced directly, without softening it: 75 out of every 100 Trinity undergraduates received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 school year. That is the majority. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,072 that year. Compared with nearly one thousand similar selective private schools, Trinity ranks on the high side in the share of students with loans.
Financing through debt is the norm here, not the exception. And you need to calculate the entire amount, not one year at a time: if your child borrows a similar amount in each of the four years, the total is about $24,288, not counting interest and excluding any loans the parents might sign for separately or debt from other sources. That number should be considered before the first signature, not at the end. The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need to do it—that comes from his financial aid letter and the difference between the net price and what the family can pay. If debt appears in the letter, ask for the estimated monthly payment before accepting it.
Trinity also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan, if that helps your family organize its budget.
Campus life: housing, sports, library, support
Trinity does have institution-controlled housing, and it does not require all first-year students to live there—that does not mean no individual program has such a requirement, so it is worth asking. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The reported maximum housing capacity is 287 students. The availability of rooms does not guarantee you a bed: ask in writing for this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
In sports, Trinity does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCCAA, the National Christian College Athletic Association—not the NCAA. If sports are part of your child’s plan, write directly to the coach: ask whether there is a place for him, which division the team competes in, and whether that sport offers scholarships.
Regarding ROTC: Trinity did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its report, neither the general field nor any specific military branch. More than half of the four-year schools in this guide marked one; Trinity was not among them. That does not prove that no nearby pathway exists—it only means none was reported in this field. If that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions directly before ruling it out.
Distance education is available here at both the undergraduate and graduate levels: 16 out of every 100 undergraduates took their entire course load at a distance, and 84 took at least one class in person. The library has paid staff and offers interlibrary loans, although its annual spending was below $100,000—that does not indicate whether it meets the needs of your child’s program; if that matters to him, go see it. Trinity also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for students, a point of contact for veterans and military service members, and a disability-services webpage.
Staying, leaving, graduating: the persistence numbers
We have reached the hardest part to read, and I am going to say it directly because your family deserves the complete truth, not only the comfortable part.
Of the class that entered in fall 2022—29 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students—21 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degrees one year later: 72 out of every 100. The data do not distinguish between those two outcomes, and with a cohort of only 29 people, the percentage can change sharply because of two or three individual decisions. For that reason, we will not compare it with other schools.
Now for graduation, which is where the number hits harder. Of the 42 students who entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree full time, 18 had earned a Trinity degree six years later: 43 out of every 100. At four years—the timeframe most families have budgeted for—the figure was only 21 out of every 100, twenty-two percentage points lower. Compared with 920 similar schools, Trinity ranks in the bottom quartile: three out of four reported a higher share of graduates.
It is, in practical terms, half and half. After six years, 43 out of every 100 students from that class had a Trinity bachelor’s degree, and 57 did not. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain the reasons behind each case. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages. Before signing, ask in writing how long the specific program your child is interested in usually takes and how the total cost would change if it takes longer than four years.
A broader measure at eight years follows the same pattern: from a cohort of 66 students who entered in 2015-16—including full-time and part-time students—41 out of every 100 had earned a Trinity degree or certificate as of August 2023. Within that group, students who received a Pell Grant graduated at a notably lower rate than those who did not: 32 out of every 100 compared with 50 out of every 100, a difference of eighteen percentage points. A family’s eligibility for Pell today does not determine the outcome for its child, but it does raise a question worth asking directly: what specific support exists for those students—an assigned advisor, emergency assistance, whether the institutional scholarship renews every year—and ask for the answer in writing.
What this article cannot tell you
I do not have verified data on what people earn or what jobs they hold after leaving Trinity. Any promise about that would not come from a reliable source, which is why you will not find one here.
Putting the pieces together
You now understand one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: who Trinity Bible College and Graduate School really is. It is a small school focused almost entirely on religious education, in a rural setting, with an admissions process that has several requirements and takes time, with a published cost that—compared with similar schools—ranks on the low side, broad financial aid coverage, but a graduation rate that, especially at four years, is far from guaranteed.
None of those facts, by itself, tells you whether Trinity is right for your child. That depends on what he wants to study and the direction in which he wants to build his life, what you as a family can afford after seeing the actual financial aid letter, and how comfortable you feel with the distance, the size of the community, and the religious focus of the education.
If something you read here left you with a specific question—about a program, a scholarship, or an admission letter—that is exactly the question to take directly to the school, in writing. The data are the starting point. What you and your child do with them comes next.
Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports that Trinity Bible College and Graduate School submitted to the United States Department of Education, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Trinity Bible College and Graduate School or any government agency; this article organizes public data to help you understand them.