Measuring Vocation,
Transformation,
and Public Witness
With 28 Lutheran colleges and universities across North America educating roughly 58,000 students each year, NECU embodies scale and purpose. More than 650,000 alumni are serving and leading worldwide. Our institutions invest heavily in access: nearly all undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, and many campuses report that 40-50% of students are the first in their families to attend college. This focus on vocation and justice translates into impact beyond the classroom — member colleges collectively contribute an estimated $7.8 billion in annual economic activity, while students perform hundreds of thousands of community-service hours. Together these numbers tell a powerful story: Lutheran higher education transforms lives and communities through rigorous academics, deep faith formation, and a commitment to service and the common good.
Enrollment: Totals are based on 2023 IPEDS figures compiled from Data USA profiles for each NECU institution.
Alumni: Since complete alumni counts aren’t published for all institutions, the total alumni figure is an extrapolation from available counts.
Financial aid: Aid totals use a conservative estimate; actual figures may be higher because some campuses report average aid offers above $40k.
Economic Impact: A study commissioned by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) estimated that Christian higher education generates >$60 billion in economic impact annually and educates 445,000 students. Scaling this to NECU‘s enrollment suggests the network contributes ≈$7.8 billion to the economy each year.
- Current Students
- 58K+
- Alumni
- 650K+
- Annual Financial Aid
- $1.9B
- Annual Economic Impact
- $7.8B
ELCA colleges and universities are gems of this church. Open to Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike, ELCA colleges and universities educate young adults in body, mind, and spirit to find their vocation and purpose in life, as well as a career. The ELCA is proud of the leadership by alumni of our colleges and universities in the church, our nation, and around the globe.
Testimonials
“As a graduate of Lutheran Higher Education, I continue to celebrate the ways in which my liberal arts foundation shaped me as a citizen of the world, how my English degree and my college campus ministry and residence hall leadership activities provided me opportunities to exercise courageous and creative leadership, and how I was both challenged and nurtured through coursework, work study, fellow students, and attentive faculty. In addition, Lutheran Higher Education continues to shape me as I have the privilege of serving on the board of two Lutheran Higher Education Institutions. Both of these institutions celebrate and uphold the Lutheran understanding of vocation for students, staff, and faculty and are preparing leaders to be engaged in communities in the world today.”
Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) 1993
“My experience at a Lutheran Higher Education institution not only prepared me for my future career, but it molded me to be a better leader in my local and broader communities. During my four years, I not only gained a degree, but I gained real-world experiences, I gained a sense of purpose, I gained belonging, I gained the roots of the person I was to become. Lutheran Higher Education provides the space for students, faculty, and staff to engage in academic freedom and explore all of life's unanswered questions. It provides connections and opportunities for community engagement. It provides the tools to raise up leaders that are already changing the world for the better.”
Roanoke College, 2022
“Lutheran higher education nurtures both the mind and the heart, creating space for students to be truly seen, supported, and challenged as whole people. By connecting learning with values, reflection, and opportunities to serve, it helps students discover their gifts, find their purpose, and step into the world ready to make a meaningful difference.”
“My time at Susquehanna helped strengthen my faith and commitment to service, It was a community that encouraged me to think deeply, act compassionately and lead with purpose. Those are lessons that have guided me throughout my life.
Through Susquehanna, I studied in Europe and did an internship at a large company in Baltimore while studying poverty in the inner city. I learned philosophy, sociology and economics as well as scripture. All these helped shape my thinking and formed my understanding of leadership.”
“A double grad of California Lutheran University (’84) and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (’88), I was deeply formed by the tradition of Lutheran Higher Education for service, courage, and faith! Never neutral, education in this tradition sets us free for action. It awakens us to more authentic humanity and for courage! Bold inquiry, fearless discovery, the freedom to ask dangerous questions—even when such freedom is threatened, even when justice and diversity are under attack. Luther said, 'God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.’ My experience at a church-related college and seminary trained me to serve, not empire but neighbor, with courage and love.”
“Learning, growing, and developing at a Lutheran higher education institution occurs through a deep commitment to rigor with radical hospitality. We view the work we do on our campuses as sacred, and I can’t imagine a better place to your own mission-driven work than at a place where you will be challenged and cared for by educators who are deeply called to their work.”
“I believe that Lutheran higher education is more relevant than ever because of our tradition's commitment to service, community, and the pursuit of a purposeful life. We emphasize a holistic education that integrates faith, academic excellence, and community engagement, and that equips students to thrive in their personal, professional, and civic lives. I watch with absolute delight as our students find their callings in their educational journeys and then set off to change the world that God loves so much!”
“Lutheran higher education invites students into a community where they discover they are part of something beautiful. It teaches us that learning is relational, that vocation grows in community, and that our gifts are meant to serve the neighbor. I am who I am because I was surrounded by people who believed I was called, beloved, and capable of leading with purpose. That sense of belonging continues to shape the way I show up for the world.”
Augsburg University, 2021
“Lutheran Higher Education matters because it dares to believe in human flourishing. Grounded in justice, community, and radical hospitality, it equips students to lead lives of purpose and to leave a legacy of hope wherever they go. Lutheran Higher Education transforms lives by cultivating courageous thinkers who understand that vocation is rooted in purpose, justice, and service. Our institutions create spaces where students feel seen, valued, and equipped to lead with compassion in a complex world.”
“I think a core value at the center of many of our colleges and universities is the distinctively Lutheran understanding of vocation. Many of our schools work at helping students discern their gifts and talents and form them in supportive communities that create lifelong learners and leaders. As a proud product of Lutheran higher education, I can say that my education helped me discern what I was called to be and do in the world.”
“Lutheran Higher Education matters more than ever in a world where neighbors are in need and flourishing is threatened. Empowered by the root concept of vocation – that all are called to lives of meaning and purpose – our institutions are committed to equipping all students, staff, faculty, and graduates for compassionate and critical engagement in their communities.”
