New York is home to a diverse population of nearly 20 million people. Its diversity is largely reflected in its religious makeup. More than seven in 10 New Yorkers identifies as Christian, and more than half of the state’s Christian, 39% of the state, identifies as Catholic. Smaller percentages of New Yorkers compared to the national averages identify as evangelical Protestant, mainline Protestant, and historically black Protestant.

Education in New York

New York is home to more than 6.5% of all degree-granting institutions in the country, with 302, second only to California. More than half of the state’s colleges are private, not-for-profit institutions, and many of those are Christian. Christian colleges in New York come in all sizes and with all characteristics, from schools of 10,000 students to those with fewer than 100, from those in Manhattan to those upstate. As the state’s religious composition might suggest, many New York Christian colleges are Catholic.

Among Catholic universities are Fordham University in Bronx, which serves more than 15,000 students, and Canisius College, which serves more than 5,000 students in Buffalo, and Saint John Fisher College, which serves nearly 4,000 students in Rochester. New York is also home to smaller colleges, such as Wagner College, a Lutheran college with more than 2,200 students in Staten Island, and Roberts Wesleyan College, a Methodist college serving just fewer than 2,000 students in Rochester. There are also multiple Christian colleges that are specifically geared toward students in medical fields.

New York is home to a well-educated population, with 32% of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28% nationwide. Its six-year college graduation rate of 58.1% is higher than the national average of 56%, but its high school students perform slightly below average on standardized tests, averaging a 1460 on the SAT compared to 1500 nationally. The state’s increase in college enrollment from 2005 to 2010, 13.3%, shows a steady increase in enrollment, but one that lags behind the national average of 20.2%.

Working in New York

As a state, New York expects to see its employment increase by 9% by 2020, with certain occupations growing faster than others. Biomedical engineers will see the fastest growth by 2020, at 58.5%. Other quickly-growing careers include event planners, at 43.4%; health educators, at 36.8%; market research analysts and marketing specialists, at 32%; and personal financial advisors, at 30.4%. Industries that will see the largest growth include healthcare support occupations, at 26.6%; health care practitioners and technicians, at 15.8%; computer and math occupations, at 15.8%; community and social service occupations, at 14.5%; and business and financial occupations, at 13.4%.

To prepare for success in New York’s current and future economy, students enrolled in colleges in New York may benefit from earning degrees in biomedical engineering, management, public health, marketing, finance, nursing, computer science, or social work. While students can earn degrees in those fields from many different universities in New York, those who attend Christian colleges have the added benefit of instruction from a Christian worldview as well as the opportunity to develop Christian leadership skills. To find the Christian college in New York that’s right for you, search our list below.