New College Franklin is one of the only colleges in America that teaches the full seven liberal arts — The Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy). Many colleges never teach more than the Trivium, not recognizing the importance of the Quadrivium. We believe the Quadrivium is just as important as the Trivium in forming students to be a whole and complete person, capable of excelling wherever God calls them.

In order to be faithful to the original purpose of a liberal arts education we also teach Applied Studies, Philosophy, and Theology. The applied studies help our students apply the liberal arts in the world. The liberal arts are different disciplines of Philosophy, and Philosophy is the handmaiden to Theology. All we do is centered around, flows from, and points back to Christ. For this reason one of our favorite hymns to sing at our convocation ceremony is St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

The Full Classical Liberal Arts Tradition

New College Franklin is one of the only colleges in America that teaches the full seven liberal arts — The Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy). Many colleges never teach more than the Trivium, not recognizing the importance of the Quadrivium. We believe the Quadrivium is just as important as the Trivium in forming students to be a whole and complete person, capable of excelling wherever God calls them.

In order to be faithful to the original purpose of a liberal arts education we also teach Applied Studies, Philosophy, and Theology. The applied studies help our students apply the liberal arts in the world. The liberal arts are different disciplines of Philosophy, and Philosophy is the handmaiden to Theology. All we do is centered around, flows from, and points back to Christ. For this reason one of our favorite hymns to sing at our convocation ceremony is St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

Under the lordship of Christ, New College Franklin forms faithful Christians in the full classical tradition, equipping them with wisdom, virtue, and the courage to lead and serve in their homes, churches, and communities. We believe that all knowledge is grounded and unified in the Lord God because He is the Creator and Source of all being. Our unique educational experience emphasizes this unity so that we may know God’s truth, cherish His goodness, and enjoy His beauty, drawing us toward man’s highest aim: the worship of God.

New College Franklin is a small affordable Christian college in the heart of Franklin, TN, forming students in the full classical Liberal Arts tradition—Trivium & Quadrivium, Philosophy & Theology. NCF graduates students are intellectually sharp, spiritually grounded, and ready to lead wherever God has called them to. Our graduates don’t just get degrees; they get a direction for life.

Together, faculty and students pursue godly wisdom so that we may be equipped for lives of service to God and His Kingdom. Educating the whole person is at the heart of New College Franklin’s educational philosophy. Through our liberal arts curriculum, we seek to shape intentional and faithful Christians—followers of Christ who die to self, who take up their cross daily, and who see compassionately with the eyes of Christ. The liberal arts challenge our students’ intellect and broaden their understanding of God and his world, equipping them for what God has called them to be and do.

Confessional, Orthodox & Ecumenical.

Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox students are all welcome — we are united by Christ, not denomination. At New College Franklin we experience deep fellowship across traditions.

How We Shape The World

The shaping is Christ’s work, not ours. New College Franklin does not claim to shape the world by its own ambition. It is Christ who shapes the world through His people by His Spirit. We form whole persons under the lordship of Christ; the shaping follows as the overflow of formed lives.

The deepest “why” behind all we do is the worship and glory of God. Shaping the world is real, but it is not the final purpose. We form people for the worship of God — whether they become pastors, attorneys, or mothers telling their children true stories. Whatever the vocation, the call is the same: to live faithfully under the lordship of Christ. Shaping the world is the fruit of that.

Why Should I Choose New College Franklin?

What Makes us Distinct

Most colleges prepare you for a career. NCF prepares you for a life lived under the lordship of Christ. The difference is formation — the slow, intentional work of shaping how you think, what you love, and who you are. Through the great texts of the Western and Christian tradition, class discussions, and a community of faculty who actually know your name, NCF graduates leave with something most graduates don’t: a framework for living, ordered toward God.

Who Our Graduates Become

NCF graduates go on to found families, lead churches, practice law and medicine, build businesses, teach, create, and serve—not because they were handed credentials, but because they were given an inheritance. Whatever their calling, they are formed to live faithfully under the lordship of Christ. They know how to read, reason, write, and live.

What Our Students Gain

● The Full Classical Liberal Arts Curriculum. Read deeply, leveraging the great texts and questions of the Western and Christian tradition to think clearly across theology, philosophy, and the seven liberal arts.

● Real Intellectual Formation. Engage ideas in Socratic discussion rather than a passive lecture.

● Be known, Not Anonymous. Enter into deep intellectual and spiritual friendships with students, faculty, and staff.

● Ecumenical Welcome. Build a community across Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions, united in Christ.

● Rich community. Meaningful friendships and mentorships of virtue across faith traditions.

● Franklin, TN. Live and study in one of the most vibrant, beautiful, and faith-filled cities in America

NCF isn’t for everyone. It’s for the student who wants more than a degree — who wants to read timeless texts, grapple with the great questions, grow in wisdom, and graduate with a life direction shaped by Christ. If that’s you, we’d love to talk.