CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — Elevation Church plans to open Elevation College in fall 2026 in partnership with Southeastern University, a Christian institution based in Florida. The new college will offer two associate and eight bachelor’s degree programs, including concentrations in ministerial leadership, biblical studies, and digital media and design.
Students enrolled at Elevation College will be required to live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and complete weekly “practicum experiences” at Elevation Church locations. Classes will be delivered through a combination of online instruction and hybrid formats, blending standard Southeastern University coursework with classes exclusive to Elevation students. According to the Elevation College website, “Through our Practicum Experience, students step into meaningful, hands-on opportunities each week, serving alongside Elevation Church staff and leaders while developing as servant leaders who love God and people.”
The college website adds that students can gain practical experience aligned with their degree programs in areas such as worship, production, youth ministry, creative arts, and campus ministry. Under mentor supervision, students will join ministry teams that provide coaching, weekly development sessions, and real responsibilities.
Elevation College will charge students $19,936 annually, which includes $8,136 in tuition, $6,800 for housing, and a $5,000 annual “site fee.” The website states that this fee “supports what makes Elevation College unique—ministry training, leadership development, classroom space, spiritual formation, and student programming.”
Southeastern University maintains more than 200 church-affiliated branch campuses nationwide and enforces a “community covenant” prohibiting “lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender behavior.” Elevation College students will not be subject to those lifestyle policies. Patrick Fitzgerald, chief of staff at Southeastern University, said, “Southeastern University (SEU) does not impose its specific university-wide lifestyle policies, scriptural standards, or community covenants onto Elevation College students, nor do we ‘police’ their student body. Instead, we purposefully partner with churches like Elevation that already possess like-minded theological stances, strong institutional integrity, and a shared spiritual vision. Elevation College maintains its own environment and culture appropriate to its local church context.”