Approximately half of the population of Indiana are followers of the Christian religion. As of 2010, over one million of this group were Evangelical Protestants, the next largest groups being Catholics and Mainline Protestants, respectively. Many of Indiana’s predominant Evangelical Christian denominations, including Southern Baptist Convention, Church of God, and the Missionary Church, added as many as 79 congregations in Indiana between 2000 and 2010.

With historical ties to both Protestant and Evangelical Christianity as well as Catholicism, recent studies also cite a large population of Catholics in Indiana, comprising a membership of nearly 750,000.

Education in Indiana

Indiana is home to many Christian colleges, including several that are among the most prestigious in the U.S. Perhaps this is due in part to the ongoing efforts of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, which has prioritized college education, as well as building a strong ethical foundation, especially in recent years.

Among the most distinguished Indiana Christian colleges are Indiana Wesleyan University, which features a wide variety of liberal arts and business programs, in addition to its theology and ministry offerings. Anderson University also features a comprehensive list of academic programs for those looking to study the Bible, ministry, youth ministry, communication arts, or theology, not to mention a large selection of other liberal arts and pre-professional majors.

These Christian colleges in Indiana and others like them are adding more online options to their schools’ educational opportunities. While the state’s unique surroundings may enhance the student experience, more and more Indiana Christian colleges are choosing to make their programs available to distance learners as well as traditional students on-campus.

Working in Indiana

Indiana’s economy is largely reliant on various non-farm industries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites trade, transportation, and utilities as the top employment industry, as of May 2012, with manufacturing, education and health services, and government not far behind. Most residents of Indiana, between 2005-2011, held jobs either in educational services, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, or retail trade. Indiana’s official labor workforce website reports that chief executives, actuaries, and physicists are among the highest-paid occupations in the state.

See more about the top Christian colleges in Indiana below: