Admissions Standards
Lancaster Bible College exists to educate Christian students to think and live a biblical worldview and to proclaim Christ by serving him in the Church and society. Since the college is committed to educating the entire person, it has a distinctive set of admissions standards in the spiritual, personal, and academic areas.
Spiritual Standards: Applicants must confirm that they have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and be in essential agreement with the Statement of Faith of the college.
Personal Standards: Applicants must also demonstrate that they are living a consistent Christian life based on the principles of God's Word by agreeing to follow LBC's Community Lifestyle Standards for on-campus undergraduate students.
Academic Standards: Applicants must provide documentation through transcripts and other evaluative instruments that their educational preparation and academic achievements and potential are sufficient for being successful as a student at LBC.
Academic criteria for first-time freshmen and transfer students include having a minimum unweighted GPA of 2.5 for acceptance. Submitting SAT, ACT, or CLT scores is encouraged but not required for admission. See Academic Placement Information.
Applicants with a GPA lower than the benchmarks listed above will be considered for special admission by the Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee will review the applicant's entire file and make a decision on admission. Applicants may be asked to submit additional information, including items such as a writing sample. In some cases, these students have a restricted academic load (12 credits), are permitted a limited number of extracurricular activities, and are provided with special academic assistance.
Degree/Certificate Students
Students seeking admission to Lancaster Bible College to earn a degree are considered degree-seeking students. The following categories of students provide more information related to the admissions criteria and process.
High School Students: Students who have graduated from high school or have earned a high school equivalency diploma. Academic criteria include having an unweighted GPA of 2.5. LBC must have official documentation of a high school transcript or GED test scores.
Although LBC is test-optional, students may submit standardized test school for additional scholarships. Request your ACT, SAT, or CLT scores to be sent directly to LBC. LBC school codes are the following: SAT = 2388 and ACT = 3707
High school juniors can apply beginning in January of their junior year.
Homeschool Students: LBC welcomes homeschool students. The academic criteria are the same as those listed in the previous section. Students need to submit a transcript with grades of the courses they have studied during their high school education. Please also include copies of the evaluations prepared by the evaluator each year.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended and/or graduated from another institution of higher education prior to applying to LBC. The academic criteria for transfer students is an unweighted GPA of 2.5.
Transfer credit is granted for all courses having a minimum grade of "C-" and that find a parallel in course requirements in the student's LBC program of study.
Readmit Students: Students who have previously attended LBC but who have not been enrolled for one semester or more. Former students wishing to be readmitted to LBC should be in good standing with the college in the academic, student services, and business areas. If difficulty existed in any area, resolution will need to be made before the student can be readmitted.
An abbreviated application is available from the admissions office. Students who have not been enrolled at LBC for an extended number of years may need to complete the full application process.
International Students: This school is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. Because of the difficulties that often arise from the difference in distance, language, culture, educational background, etc., most international students are individually guided through the admissions process. Therefore, early personal contact with the admissions office is encouraged. The following preliminary application procedures must be completed before being considered for admission to LBC:
1. Complete the online application.
2. Send proof of an educational background equivalent to an American high school education.
3. Return reference forms completed by appropriate individuals to LBC.
4. Provide proof of English proficiency. See the
English Language Proficiency Policy.
5. Submit a copy of passport and/or visa if studying in the US.
6. Complete and return the LBC Educational and Financial Information Sheet. After a review of this information, and if everything is acceptable, the College will grant provisional acceptance. Then the student must send sufficient funds to cover the first year of education. This money will be held in escrow and will be immediately returned to the student should that student be unable to attend.
7. After receiving the proper funds, final acceptance will be granted and the I-20 form issued. This form provides the government with the information necessary to issue a visa.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Lancaster Bible College is an equal opportunity institution that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex (except where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification), ancestry, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, admission to and enrollment with the College.
Validating High School Diplomas
If the admissions office has reason to believe that a high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education the Director of Admissions will take the following actions:
- Verify Accreditation - LBC will check whether the issuing high school is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, such as those listed by the U.S. Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or Educational Testing Service (ETS).
- Review the School’s Status - LBC will research the legitimacy of the issuing high school, especially if it operates as an online or private institution. Particular attention will be given to identifying “diploma mills,” which issue diplomas without requiring substantial academic work.
- Request Additional Documentation - LBC will require the student to provide a transcript showing completed coursework and grades. The institution will examine patterns of coursework to ensure they align with recognized secondary education standards.
- Check for National or International Recognition - For international students or those with high school education abroad, LBC will compare the diploma to equivalent secondary education credentials in the issuing country.
Non-Degree/Non-Certificate Students
There are numerous reasons why individuals take college-level courses at LBC with no intent of pursuing a degree or certificate. Included are reasons such as personal growth, limited time in the geographical area, inadequate educational preparation and achievement, and transfer credit to other colleges and universities.
Due to the varied reasons and diversity of college programs, individuals should contact the registrar's office for additional information.
If a non-degree/non-certificate student chooses at some later time to seek a degree or certificate, then the necessary admissions requirements for acceptance into that program must be completed.