Texas Bible College, founded in 1964 and based in Lufkin, trains ministers for the United Pentecostal Church International. Its ExCeLL academic plans lead to an Associate or Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry and qualify students to apply for UPCI Local License, General License, and Ordination.
We could not find the college listed by any accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. That is not an accusation — plenty of denominational training institutions deliberately operate outside the accreditation system — but it changes what the degree can do for you, and you should verify the current position yourself before you enroll.
Denominational recognition is not accreditation
These two things get conflated constantly. Denominational recognition means a church body accepts a school's training toward its own ministerial credentials — which the UPCI does here, and which is genuinely valuable if you plan to serve in that fellowship. Institutional accreditation means an agency recognized by the federal government has reviewed the school's finances, faculty, governance, and academic standards.
Only the second one unlocks federal financial aid, reliable credit transfer, and acceptance into accredited graduate programs. Our accreditation guide explains the full landscape, including faith-based accreditors like ABHE that exist specifically for Bible colleges.
What it costs
Texas Bible College publishes tuition of $145 per credit hour, with full-time on-campus students paying an estimated $5,500 per semester. That is a fraction of accredited Bible college pricing — see what Bible school costs for comparison. Low cost is often the counterweight to no federal aid.
Verify it yourself in five minutes
- Search the school in the Department of Education DAPIP database. No entry means no federally recognized accreditation.
- Check the CHEA directory as a second source.
- Search the ABHE member directory and TRACS directory — the two accreditors most Bible colleges use.
- Ask the admissions office directly: "Which accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education accredits this institution, and what is its current status?" A clear answer is a good sign; a vague one about being "approved" or "affiliated" is not.
- Ask any college you might transfer to, in writing, whether they would accept the credits.
Our step-by-step verification walkthrough shows what each database entry should look like.
Accredited alternatives in Texas
If accreditation matters for your path, Texas has plenty of accredited options — Dallas Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Houston Christian University, Abilene Christian, and Grace School of Theology among them. See Bible colleges in Texas and the cheapest ATS-accredited seminaries for the graduate options.
Related reading
Compare with Liberty University, Moody Bible Institute, and Payne Theological Seminary.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Texas Bible College accredited?
- We could not find Texas Bible College listed by any accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The school awards Associate and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Christian Ministry and its coursework aligns with United Pentecostal Church International licensing requirements, but denominational recognition is not the same thing as institutional accreditation. Confirm current status directly with the college and the federal database before enrolling.
- How much does Texas Bible College cost?
- Texas Bible College publishes tuition of $145 per credit hour, with full-time on-campus students paying an estimated $5,500 per semester. That is well below accredited Bible college pricing, which typically starts around $300 per credit — part of the tradeoff for a program without recognized institutional accreditation and therefore without federal financial aid.
- Will Texas Bible College credits transfer?
- Probably not to an accredited college. Registrars at accredited institutions generally accept transfer credit only from institutions accredited by a recognized agency. Some Christian colleges evaluate unaccredited coursework case by case or through portfolio assessment, but you should assume credits will not transfer and ask any prospective receiving school in writing beforehand.
- Can I use FAFSA at Texas Bible College?
- Federal student aid requires the institution to be accredited by a Department of Education-recognized agency and to participate in Title IV. Because we could not verify recognized accreditation, assume Pell Grants and federal loans are not available and ask the school's financial office directly what aid, payment plans, or church sponsorship they offer.
- Is an unaccredited Bible college worth attending?
- It depends entirely on your goal. If you intend to be licensed and serve within a denomination that recognizes the school's training — as the UPCI does here — the credential does what you need it to do, at a much lower cost. If you may later want chaplaincy, a graduate degree, a teaching post, or ordination in another tradition, an accredited school protects options that an unaccredited one closes.
Compare tuition side by side
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