The Master’s University Ranked #1 for “Character Development” by Wall Street Journal

On September 4th, 2024, the Wall Street Journal released its annual rankings for colleges and universities, and The Master’s University once again obtained national recognition.

TMU was ranked No. 1 in the nation for a new category—“Character Development”—in the Journal’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, based on a survey of current students and recent alumni from roughly 2,000 schools. TMU was also ranked No. 4 in the “recommendation” category and No. 9 for career preparation.

To tabulate “Character Development” scores, students were asked about their university’s role in helping them become more wise, just, and equipped to make a meaningful contribution to society and the world. The survey also asked participants how hopeful they were about the future and how likely they are to “promote good” even in challenging circumstances.

Dr. Abner Chou, TMU’s president, was encouraged that TMU excelled in this category. He believes that an education truly committed to Christ and Scripture in every aspect of campus will produce not only knowledge and competence in students, but “the deepest conviction and character.”

“That’s because Scripture alone can transform a person all the way to his soul to live a life beyond one’s self for the sake of the gospel,” Chou said. “If we have done our work faithfully and fervently, such transformation is what we would hope to see in our students and alumni,” he said, “and the Wall Street Journal rankings demonstrate that our commitment to Christ and Scripture is not just a slogan but the unyielding conviction of our campus.”

Alayna Fraser, a senior communication major, said she has seen first-hand how TMU helps students grow in wisdom — one of the survey’s character-related topics.

“TMU encourages us to start living for Christ now, and to apply that to every single area of our lives,” she said. “The things being said are also displayed in the classroom. You see teachers talking about Christ when they talk about a variety of subjects — including politics, economics, and even comic books. It’s not just talk here; everyone is trying to live out their faith.”

Why is Fraser hopeful about the future? “I’m learning about the gospel alongside what I’m studying in my classes,” she said. “Not only am I being prepared for my career and future, but I’m being reminded that no matter what happens, we have hope in Christ. Ultimately, we should be living our lives for Him.

This year’s high rankings echo TMU’s standing with the WSJ across previous years. This is the second straight year that TMU was ranked in the top five in the “recommendation” category, measuring how likely a school’s students and recent alumni are to recommend their institution and whether they’d enroll there again if they could make the decision over. The University also came in No. 4 last year in the “career (preparation) and learning opportunities” category. In 2017 and 2018, TMU was ranked as the #1 “right choice” university. The University also placed in the top two “most inspirational schools” in 2017.

A full list of TMU’s rankings and stats is available here.

You can find the Wall Street Journal’s article on the 2025 Best Colleges rankings here (subscription needed).

Mason Nesbitt, Kaelyn Peay, and Andie Valdes contributed to this report.