President's Report 2025

From the PRESIDENT

Dear friends,

As we close another remarkable year at Colorado Christian University, I do so with deep gratitude and joyful confidence in what God has accomplished through the faithfulness of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.

This year, CCU reached a historic milestone — record enrollment of more than 17,400 students — reflecting continued double-digit growth across undergraduate and graduate programs. This momentum underscores the growing demand for Christ-centered learning that forms students academically, spiritually, and vocationally.

For the second consecutive year, Colorado Christian University has achieved full operational profitability, standing on its own financial foundation without requiring philanthropic support to meet our budget. We closed the year with a record $11 million in net operating revenue — a clear reflection of God’s provision and the faithful stewardship of our faculty, staff, and trustees. In a season when many institutions face enrollment declines and financial instability, CCU continues to demonstrate that excellence and sustainability go hand in hand when you remain true to your calling.

Financial strength is not an end in itself — it is a means of fulfilling our mission from a position of confidence and conviction. It enables us to invest wisely in academic excellence, student formation, and the infrastructure needed to serve the next generation. We regard this blessing as a sacred responsibility: to steward resources well, to remain faithful to our Christian identity, and to ensure that CCU continues equipping men and women to engage culture with grace and truth for years to come.

This year also brought extraordinary momentum. The Quarry Innovation Lab opened as a collaborative learning space designed to explore the intersection of faith, technology, and human creativity. During President’s Weekend, nearly $6 million was raised — including more than $800,000 for CCU’s endowment — and in the fall, the University received an anonymous $5 million gift, one of the largest in our history, to advance the Athletics Facilities Campaign.

CCU also strengthened its national voice through the AI for Humanity Summit, hosted on our Lakewood campus. The event brought students, faculty, and leaders together to explore how innovation and biblical truth can shape technology for human dignity.

Through every achievement — academic, spiritual, athletic, and philanthropic — I am reminded that our goal is not merely growth in size, but a bolder expression of our mission: growing in excellence, character, kingdom influence, and enduring impact. We are equipping men and women of faith to think deeply, lead courageously, and serve compassionately in a world in desperate need of Christcentered wisdom.

Thank you for your continued partnership — through prayer, generosity, and encouragement. As you review this President’s Report, I invite you to celebrate all that God has accomplished and look with anticipation toward all He has yet to do.

Soli Deo Gloria, Eric Hogue, Th.M. President

Colorado Christian University

1,495 - Traditional Undergraduate Students

6,455 - Adult Undergraduate Students

2,179 - Master's Degree Students

49 - Doctoral Students

7,264 - High School Students Earning College Credit

DEMOGRAPHICS

302 ASSOCIATE DEGREES

2025 Total Revenue $122,000,000

2025 Total Expenses $111,600,000

Spotlight on CCU SCHOOL OF COUNSELING

With enrollment recently surpassing 1,600 students in its Professional Counseling, Substance Use Disorders, Marriage and Family Therapy, School Counseling, and Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision programs, the CCU School of Counseling stands among the largest counselingeducation programs in the nation. This milestone also makes the School of Counseling the most populous graduate program at CCU, representing roughly two-thirds of all graduate students.

CCU’s School of Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), affirming its commitment to rigorous academic standards, ethical clinical training, and professional excellence. Students enrolled in this program routinely outperform students enrolled in other programs on national exams, with clinical supervisors often noting their superior clinical preparation in both their internships and post-degree employment.

FAITH AND LEARNING — A DISTINCTIVE INTEGRATION

What sets CCU’s School of Counseling apart is the faculty’s intentional integration of Christian faith into the training of future mental health professionals. Students develop a “Faith-Informed Clinical Identity,” engaging deeply with clinical theory and polarizing societal issues while learning how a biblical worldview informs their professional identity. The coursework throughout the School of Counseling emphasizes academic and clinical rigor and a Christ-centered view of clients while preparing students to help those who feel alone and isolated in our society. 90% of upcoming graduates feel prepared to practice as mental health professionals; 94% would recommend the program to those considering applying, and 92% of students report that a biblical worldview was integrated into their coursework in a meaningful way and that they grew in their faith while in the program. The School of Counseling is well known for producing students who confidently come alongside the most vulnerable in our communities, seeking to emulate the compassion of Christ through mental health services.

PROVEN OUTCOMES AND HIGH GRADUATION SUCCESS

Graduation and licensure-exam results reflect the strength of CCU’s School of Counseling curriculum and its commitment to preparing students for real-world practice.

• National Counselor Exam (NCE): Students enrolled in the School of Counseling consistently score above the national average in all clinical competencies assessed by the NCE each year.

• Program Retention and Satisfaction Rates: The School of Counseling maintains an uncommonly strong graduate student retention rate of 93%, while 97% of alumni report being satisfied with their engagement and experience with CCU's School of Counseling faculty and staff throughout their degree. Students enrolled in the School of Counseling feel supported in their academic efforts and believe faculty and staff are invested in their success.

• Supervisor evaluation: 82% of site supervisors report CCU counseling students are “more clinically prepared than the average counseling student.”

• Doctorate Ready: 38% of alumni plan to pursue doctoral-level education. Students enrolled in the School of Counseling feel prepared and competent to tackle the highest level of academic training. These outcomes demonstrate a program that not only teaches but also effectively equips graduates to enter the field with confidence.

FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS FOR A GROWING PROFESSION

To meet the needs of students nationwide, the School of Counseling offers multiple learning formats, including on-campus, online, and hybrid options. In addition to a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree, students may elect an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy or Substance Use Disorders, preparing them to work with couples and families or with those in recovery from substance use.

CCU also offers a Master’s in School Counseling and a dual-degree option for students seeking to serve in both clinical and educational settings. In-person residencies — a highlight of the student experience — provide community, mentorship, and hands-on development.

PLACEMENT AND CAREER OUTCOMES

The School of Counseling maintains strong relationships with clinical sites across Colorado and the nation, with high placement rates for practicum and internship students. Employment outcomes are also consistently strong, with graduates serving in private practice, schools, community agencies, churches, and healthcare settings.

Intern placement: 100%

Job-placement percentage: 71%

DOCTORAL PATHWAY ADVANCING THE PROFESSION

CCU’s Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision extends the School of Counseling’s mission by preparing professionals to teach, supervise, conduct research, and lead in the counseling field. Designed for working practitioners, the program is delivered primarily online with two brief, on-campus residencies and a structured three-year sequence, emphasizing the five pillars of counselor education: research, leadership/advocacy, counseling, teaching, and supervision. These pillars are taught within a Christian framework and evidence-based practice models. As its first cohort prepares to graduate in May 2026 program itself will reach a significant milestone this year — marking an important step in CCU’s work to develop future counselor educators and strengthen the pipeline of Christian mental health professionals nationwide.

MEETING A NATIONAL NEED WITH CHRIST-CENTERED EXCELLENCE

As demand for mental health professionals continues to rise, the CCU School of Counseling is preparing a new generation of counselors who bring hope, healing, and Christ-centered care to individuals, families, and communities. Its growth, outcomes, and impact reflect a commitment to forming leaders who serve with both professional excellence and spiritual depth.

The mental health needs presented by our culture today require more than just robust training. Our friends, families, and neighbors who are wrestling with a mental health disorder need hope, meaning, and purpose.

Our mission at CCU is to produce mental health professionals who are vigorously trained while fundamentally prepared to support the restorative work of Jesus Christ in our world through compassionate and competent care. — Dr. Ryan Burkhart,