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Admission Requirements

U.S. Citizens

What are the application requirements?
To apply for admission to LCU, undergraduate applicants will need to turn in:

  • Online Application
  • A written essay, which is submitted is part of the application
  • Christian character reference, which can be requested from the application
  • High school and/or College Transcript(s)
    • If the applicant is a college transfer student with 24 or more credit hours completed, only college transcript(s) are required.
    • The university has temporarily suspended the requirement for standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, CLT) to be submitted for the Fall 2022 recruitment class.

Once we have received each of the required items, our Enrollment Services staff will make an admissions decision and send a letter to the applicant, usually within two weeks.

Enrollment Policy

LCU admits Christian men and women who desire a college education that will help them to know God’s word, engage God’s world, and pursue God’s will for their lives as servant leaders in the church and in the world. Students should present a record of achievement that documents their academic experiences, their extra-curricular and/or community activities, and their church involvement as it relates to the University mission. All candidates should show support of our mission and core values.

In evaluating student credentials, Enrollment Services strives to determine potential success in LCU’s programs. Skills in critical thinking, communication, and a solid foundation in writing and language arts are highly desirable.

Lincoln Christian University welcomes all qualified applicants—regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability—who are personally committed to faith in Jesus Christ, and whose standards and lifestyle are in line with the mission, goals, and core values of LCU.

Academic Capability

LCU recommends that freshman applicants complete a solid college preparatory curriculum—including four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies and two years of science—with a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) to help prepare you for the challenges of college.

Applicants need to submit official transcripts from any college attended. Students who have earned at least 24 college-level semester credits do not have to submit their high school transcript. LCU prefers to see a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 or better.

Freshman applicants who are 22 years old or younger must submit official ACT, SAT or CLT (Classic Learning Test) results. The average composite ACT score at LCU is approximately 23. If applicants take the ACT, SAT or CLT more than once, we’ll accept the best result.

We accept a GED, if provided the official results. We recommend a minimum composite score of 580 with a minimum score of 400 on each GED subtest.

Additional Information

  • An applicant for admission may be submitted after completion of the 6th semester of high school.
  • Prior to enrollment, admitted students must submit an official final high school transcript indicating the date of graduation.
  • New students can begin any semester (fall/spring).
  • Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for the following fall term of entry.
  • All application materials are kept on file for 1 year and become property of LCU.
  • Admitted students may elect to defer their enrollment for 1 year by notifying Enrollment Services. Before enrolling it is the student’s responsibility to contact Enrollment Services of any changes to their application (i.e. send updated transcripts, etc.).
  • If a student is denied admission, they may reapply after one academic year.
  • Students should be 17 years of age by the date of full-time enrollment, unless otherwise approved by the Associate Director.

Proficiency Exams

LCU makes two types of proficiency exams available for a select number of courses 1) exams offered externally through the College Board’s CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) and 2) courses offered externally through The College Board’s AP (Advanced Placement) program.

Students who have taken a CLEP exam and receive a score of 50 or higher may submit a formal application to the registrar’s office for college credit. For a list of CLEP credit accepted, refer to the Academic Policies in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students who have taken an AP course in high school and took the AP exam, receiving a score of 3 or higher (English requires a 4) may receive college credit. For a full list of AP courses accepted, refer to the Academic Policies in the Undergraduate Catalog.

In order to receive credit for AP or CLEP exams, students must request that their exam grades be sent to the Registrar at LCU. There is a $50 per credit hour fee from LCU to have the AP or CLEP courses listed in substitution for a comparable LCU course.

Re-Enrollment

Students who have not been enrolled at LCU for 12 months or more will be required to re-enroll by submitting an Application for Admission indicating re-enrollment/previous attendance. Students who have attended another institution during his/her absence will be required to submit official transcripts before an admission decision will be made. A new spiritual reference is also required. The admission committee cannot make a decision on a student applying for re-enrollment holds. These should be resolved before re-enrollment. The Student Development, Fiscal Services, Academic Dean, and Enrollment Services offices must all sign off on any student pursing re-enrollment at LCU. Students returning after 2 or more years of absence from LCU must follow the academic catalog in effect at the time of re-entry.

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