The state of Virginia boasts a large Evangelical Protestant population, counting an especially large following of Southern Baptists and Methodists among their ranks. Mainline Protestants follow closely-behind, and Catholics are also in large numbers in this area, accounting for the third-largest religious faith group in the state, all according to a 2010 Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) study.

The same study cites an increase in the number of new congregations established in Virginia between 2000 and 2010, especially for Southern Baptists, The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-Day Saints, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, among others.

Education in Virginia

Those choosing to pursue a higher education in Virginia are presented with many options. In a state known for aggressive education awareness efforts, Virginia’s drive to encourage college enrollment has paid off, with an increase in enrollment of more than 17% between 2005 and 2010.

Among the many state colleges and universities is a brief yet noteworthy selection of Christian colleges in Virginia. Bluefield College and Eastern Mennonite University are among the state’s faith-based schools, offering a variety of both on-campus and online programs in various liberal arts subjects, as well as Christian studies, Biblical studies, and theology majors and minors.

Working in Virginia

The most enduring Virginia industries are rooted in agriculture, mining, and manufacturing, however the state also feeds a booming labor force of technology and data services occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that government, as well as the professional and business services industry, employ the most workers in the state, as of March 2013. A study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau also confirms that occupations in management, business, science, and the arts accounted for the majority of jobs in the state between 2007 and 2011.

Jobs in these fields, specifically including biomedical engineers and software developers, for example, are among the fastest-growing in Virginia between 2010 and 2020, as projected by the Virginia Employment Commission.

Virginia Christian colleges provide a unique opportunity to college-bound students in the state who value their spiritual health, but also aspire to an academically-advanced education. For more on Christian colleges in Virginia, read about these schools below: