Since 1846, Taylor University—a coeducational, non-denominational Christian liberal arts college—has stood by its belief that education and living should be built on faith. We challenge our students, faculty, and staff to fulfill Taylor’s mission of developing servant-leaders marked with a passion to minister Christ’s redemptive love, grace, and truth to a world in need. 

Currently, 35% of undergraduate students major in the departments of Business, Art, Film & Media, and Education. Another 24% major in the departments of Psychology; History, Global, & Political Studies and Orphans & Vulnerable Children; and Biology, Environmental Science, Public Health, and Sustainable Development. 

Taylor is proud of its commitment to helping students find opportunities to learn and serve abroad. 

In 2019-2020, 401 students earned credit while participating in 28 programs in 31 countries. Students also earned credit as short-term missionaries to US cities. 

Taylor is ranked #3 in the Top 40 Baccalaureate Colleges for short term duration trips by Open Doors, and is ranked #6 for overall undergraduate study abroad participation. 

Launched in 1972, Taylor’s Lighthouse program is in its 51st year of sending students abroad to learn and build their faith through global service.

Taylor is home to the first campus chapter of MuKappa, a collegiate organization for students who have grown up in a cross-cultural setting. MuKappa is now in its 37th year.

Our dedication to excellence in and out of the classroom has led to national recognition by publications like U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and Forbes. Taylor students regularly earn awards and recognition for research, creative projects, and academic work. Below are a few of the most recent additions to the long list.

• Ten Taylor student athletes were named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, helping Taylor rank first in the NAIA and fifth in the nation across all collegiate levels.


• Six Taylor student-produced documentaries were nominated for regional Emmy awards, and two of them won, adding to Film & Media’s 700+ awards since 2006.


• Four Taylor University films were winners in the 2020 National Student Production Awards, hosted by College Broadcasters Inc., including first place in the Short Film: Fiction and Short Film: Nonfiction categories. CBI is one of three organizations that recognize the best in college media nationally.


• Mitchell Mays (’17) presented his research entitled “Feature Selection for Malware Classification” to security researchers at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology labs.


• Taylor Theatre’s production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole received ten national honors after appearing at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.


• Taylor’s endowment teams competed against more than 400 entrants in the annual QGAME competition in New York City, and won.


• In February 2021, two satellites built by Taylor University Computer Science and Engineering students and faculty launched into space aboard the NG-15 Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket that lifted off from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The rocket was named for NASA’s Katherine Johnson, featured in the film Hidden Figures. This marks twenty years since the satellite program started at Taylor in 2001.


• In November 2021, Public Relations students were awarded a Platinum Award from MarCom, one of the communication industry’s most recognized bodies.

In addition to the numerous awards and recognitions Taylor students have received, Taylor itself has earned a number of honors. These include:

• U.S. News & World Report: Taylor University recently placed number two in the Best Midwest Regional Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report, marking the 26th consecutive year Taylor has appeared in the region’s top three. Taylor is also ranked #2 in Undergraduate Teaching Midwest Colleges and #8 in Best Value Midwest Colleges. 


• Forbes America’s Top Colleges: Taylor University appeared as Forbes’ number 227 overall private college in America, placing Taylor well within the top 10% of the nation’s private colleges.


• Princeton Review: Taylor University is one of the best colleges in the Midwest according to the Princeton Review, which included Taylor in its 2023 compilation of the best colleges according to region.