Houghton University is one of 300 top colleges and universities in the U.S. to be featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, a leading resource for college-bound students and their parents.

The Fiske Guide describes Houghton as “[t]he Mid-Atlantic’s leading evangelical Christian college,” noting Houghton’s commitment to strong academic programs within an environment of supportive Christian faith.

“Houghton’s scenic hilltop campus covers 1,300 acres of rural beauty, surrounded by vast expanses of western New York countryside,” the Fiske Guide says, highlighting the college’s equestrian facilities, ski trails, and 115,000-square-foot athletic complex as noteworthy offerings. It describes Houghton’s rural campus as a boon for students, fostering a tight-knit residential college environment.

Community is a throughline for the theme of the Fiske Guide’s writeup. “Sixty-seven percent of classes have fewer than 20 students,” it says, “and most classes are taught by senior faculty, who students say do an outstanding job of fostering a sense of community.”

Houghton Distinctives

In addition to the appeal of Houghton’s campus, the Fiske Guide also highlights the off-campus study opportunities Houghton offers. Academically-qualified students have the opportunity to participate in one of the college’s two honors tracks, London Honors and Science Honors. Full-semester off-campus study opportunities are available, alongside Mayterm and summer programs.

The Fiske Guide cites equestrian studies, pre-med, communication, and theology as particularly strong programs at Houghton. It also notes Houghton’s new electrical engineering program, which is launching this fall.

The Fiske Guide to Colleges has been published as a college-search resource for over thirty years. In its own words, it features “300 of the best and most interesting institutions in the nation—the ones that students most want to know about—[and includes] descriptive essays of 1,000 to 2,500 words about each of them.” It aims to highlight the top ten percent of schools in the U.S., and to assess their merits based on academics, social life, overall quality of life, and other relevant factors students consider while choosing a college.