Insurance for Christian Colleges and Universities
Your college isn't a big high school — and your insurance shouldn't be either.
Most agencies that insure Christian schools treat colleges like oversized K-12 campuses. They're not. The risks are different in seven critical areas, and a policy built for a K-12 school will leave your institution exposed. We work with Brotherhood Mutual and other carriers who understand higher education ministry.
Last updated: February 2026
Adult students (18+) change the liability framework
K-12 policies are built around child safety and parental consent. Your students are legal adults — which changes your liability exposure for housing, campus activities, counseling, and discipline decisions entirely. Abuse and molestation coverage still matters, but the legal standards for duty of care, negligence, and institutional responsibility shift when every student is over 18.
Residential campus operations — 24/7 duty of care
Dormitories, dining halls, campus security, and round-the-clock facility operations create property and liability exposures that day schools simply don't have. Water damage from aging residence halls, slip-and-fall incidents at 2 AM, food safety liability in dining services — these are daily realities for your facilities team, and your policy needs to cover all of it.
Governance complexity — boards, accreditation, Title IX
A K-12 school has a board. A college has a board, a president's office, an academic senate, department chairs, accreditation bodies, and Title IX compliance requirements. Directors & Officers liability coverage needs to account for this layered decision-making structure — and the regulatory scrutiny that comes with federal financial aid, accreditation reviews, and civil rights obligations.
Faculty liability — tenure, academic freedom, research
Tenure disputes, academic freedom claims, research misconduct allegations, and employment practices liability look nothing like a K-12 teacher contract disagreement. Your faculty hold advanced degrees, conduct funded research, publish scholarship, and operate with professional autonomy that creates unique employment and professional liability risk.
Intercollegiate athletics — NCAA/NAIA, travel, sports medicine
A church league softball team and an NAIA soccer program have nothing in common from an insurance perspective. Intercollegiate athletics require participant accident coverage, travel liability for away games and tournaments, athletic trainer and sports medicine professional liability, and potentially Title IX-related claims coverage across every varsity and club program.
Religious identity legal exposure — faith-based hiring, doctrinal standards
Christian colleges face increasing legal challenges around faith-based hiring practices, student conduct policies, and accreditation tied to religious convictions. Your insurance needs to account for the cost of defending your institution's doctrinal standards and religious identity in court — not just general liability claims. This is a growing area of litigation that generic policies don't address. Brotherhood Mutual's Legal Assist provides free legal guidance on religious identity protections.
Larger financial stakes — endowments, capital campaigns, multi-building campuses
A K-12 school might carry $2-5 million in property value. A college campus can carry $20-100 million or more — with multiple buildings, specialized facilities, technology infrastructure, endowment assets, and capital campaign obligations. The premium is larger, and getting the coverage wrong costs more.
What coverage does a Christian college need?
At minimum, most Christian colleges and universities need property coverage for the full campus (including dormitories and athletic facilities), general liability, Directors & Officers liability, employment practices liability, professional liability for faculty and counselors, commercial auto (including student travel), workers' compensation, cyber liability, and participant accident coverage for athletics. Many also need coverage for study-abroad programs, campus events open to the public, and religious liberty legal defense. Not sure where your current policy falls short? See our insurance FAQ or request a coverage review.
Why MinistrySure for higher education?
Our team has spent 30+ years insuring Georgia's churches and Christian schools. We know the ministry side — the doctrinal commitments, the board dynamics, the budget pressures, the accreditation requirements. We work with carriers who specialize in religious institutions — including Brotherhood Mutual — giving your college access to coverages most commercial carriers don't offer: religious liberty legal defense, counseling liability, and volunteer medical payments.
Your college deserves an advisor who understands both higher education operations and the faith-based mission behind them. That's what our team provides.
What ministry leaders say about MinistrySure
“Very thorough, asked us questions we never thought to ask, and returned with quotes that saved us a lot of money. That thoroughness gave our board real confidence.”
“MinistrySure has been a wonderful partner for our church. Matthew took the time to understand our ministry operations and found coverage gaps we didn't know we had. The whole process was easy and thorough.”
College insurance questions answered
Can the same agent who insures our church also insure our college? +
Yes — and there are advantages to having one agency that understands both. MinistrySure insures churches, K-12 schools, and colleges across Georgia. When your church and college share facilities or staff, having one advisor who sees the full picture prevents coverage gaps.
Does Brotherhood Mutual insure colleges and universities? +
Brotherhood Mutual insures Christian colleges and universities, including residential campuses. As authorized Brotherhood Mutual agents, MinistrySure can evaluate whether Brotherhood Mutual is the right fit for your institution — or whether a combination of carriers better serves your needs.
What's the biggest coverage gap you see at Christian colleges? +
Religious identity legal defense. Many colleges carry general liability and D&O coverage, but their policies don't specifically cover the legal costs of defending faith-based hiring practices, student conduct standards, or accreditation challenges tied to religious convictions. This is a growing exposure area.
How is college insurance priced differently than K-12? +
College premiums are driven by campus property values, student enrollment, residential capacity, athletic programs, and number of employees. A small Christian college with 300 students and a residential campus will typically carry a significantly higher premium than a K-12 school of similar enrollment because of the broader risk profile.
Matthew · Gabe
Talk to our higher education insurance team.
Let's talk about protecting your institution.
Whether you're evaluating your current coverage or looking for a new agency that understands Christian higher education, we'll start with a conversation about your campus, your programs, and your mission.