Heritage

In 1954, members of the Churches of Christ formed a Board of Trustees to establish a college in the north central United States. The new Board purchased land near rural Rochester, Michigan, and the first students arrived at North Central Christian College in 1959. Several years later, NCCC became Michigan Christian College. In 1997, the Board adopted the name Rochester College. That year, the Board reaffirmed the founders’ dedication to the task of leading students toward high academic achievement and the development of Christian ideals and character.

Over the years, the campus of Rochester College has grown, and administration and faculty have continued to develop and modify programs that meet the changing needs of our students.

In a typical year, students arrive from more than twenty states and about six different nations. Alumni are scattered in many places around the country and the world.

Since its inception, Rochester College has emphasized the importance of combining academic excellence with Christian ideals. While the college admits students of all ethnicities and religions and carefully explains varying worldviews in relevant courses, it employs only those professors and instructors who understand, model, and teach the Christian faith. Regardless of their discipline, faculty members routinely relate their subject matter to relevant principles and concepts of the Christian faith.