# Welch College

> private four-year college in Gallatin, Tennessee

**Wikidata**: [Q7980543](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7980543)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welch_College)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/welch-college

## Summary
Welch College is a private, four-year Bible college located in Gallatin, Tennessee. Founded in 1942, it is a higher education institution affiliated with the Free Will Baptist denomination. The college operates as a private not-for-profit educational institution, serving approximately 389 students as of 2024.

## Key Facts
- **Founded:** 1942.
- **Location:** 1045 Bison Trail, Gallatin, Tennessee, 37066, United States.
- **Affiliation:** Free Will Baptist.
- **Institution Type:** Private not-for-profit educational institution; Bible college; University.
- **Accreditation:** Accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (since 1958) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (since 1996).
- **Enrollment:** 389 students (as of September 2024).
- **Employees:** 90 (as of September 2020).
- **Financials:** Endowment of $3,470,934 and total assets of $41,472,780 (as of June 30, 2020).
- **Academic Calendar:** Semester system.
- **Carnegie Classification:** Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields; Exclusively Undergraduate Four-Year.

## FAQs
### Q: Where is Welch College located?
A: Welch College is located at 1045 Bison Trail in Gallatin, Tennessee, zip code 37066.

### Q: Is Welch College a religious institution?
A: Yes, it is a Bible college affiliated with the Free Will Baptist denomination.

### Q: Is the college accredited?
A: Yes, Welch College is dually accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (since 1958) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (since 1996).

### Q: What was Welch College previously known as?
A: The institution was formerly known as Free Will Baptist Bible College.

## Why It Matters
Welch College serves as the primary higher education institution for the Free Will Baptist community, providing academic instruction within a specific religious worldview. Its significance lies in its dual accreditation—recognized by both the Association for Biblical Higher Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools—which validates its academic standards alongside its theological mission. By maintaining a "baccalaureate colleges: diverse fields" classification, it offers broader educational opportunities than some singularly focused seminaries, while remaining exclusively undergraduate. The institution plays a critical role in training clergy and lay leaders for the Free Will Baptist denomination, a function it has fulfilled since its inception in 1942. With assets totaling over $41 million and a campus in Gallatin, Tennessee, it represents a substantial financial and physical investment in the denomination's future, supporting a student body of nearly 400 students.

## Notable For
- **Denominational Hub:** Serving as the official college of the Free Will Baptist denomination.
- **Dual Accreditation:** Holding accreditation from both a regional body (SACS) and a national biblical association (ABHE).
- **Historical Identity:** Operating since 1942, formerly under the name Free Will Baptist Bible College.
- **Academic Focus:** Being classified as an "Exclusively Undergraduate Four-Year" institution with a "professions focus."
- **Distinctive Ownership:** Operating as a private not-for-profit educational entity with significant asset holdings ($41M+).

## Body

### History and Identity
Welch College is a private higher education institution established in 1942. Originally named Free Will Baptist Bible College, it serves as an educational arm of the Free Will Baptist religion. The institution is legally classified as a private not-for-profit educational organization and is identified as a university-level institution and a Bible college. It maintains a ROR ID of 03xj38z92 and a GRID ID of grid.454564.2.

### Campus and Location
The college is situated in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee, United States. Its specific street address is 1045 Bison Trail, Gallatin, TN 37066. The geographic coordinates of the campus are 36.367172 latitude and -86.549098 longitude.

### Academics and Accreditation
Welch College follows a semester-based academic calendar. It has held accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education since 1958 and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1996. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education categorizes Welch College under several designations, including:
*   Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
*   Exclusively Undergraduate Four-Year
*   Four-year, full-time, inclusive, higher transfer-in
*   Professions focus, no graduate coexistence

### Operations and Statistics
As of the 2024 academic year, the college enrolls 389 students (up from 358 in 2020). The institution employs 90 staff members. Financial records from June 30, 2020, indicate an endowment of $3,470,934 and total assets amounting to $41,472,780.

### Digital Presence
The college maintains a digital footprint across various platforms:
*   **Website:** http://www.welch.edu
*   **Social Media:** Twitter (@WelchCollege), Facebook (WelchCollege), Instagram (@welchcollege), and Threads (@welchcollege).
*   **Identifiers:** The institution is listed under ISNI 0000000405862005 and IPEDS ID 220206.

## References

1. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. [Source](https://welch.edu/admissions/visit-welch/campus-location/)
4. ROR release v1.19
5. [Source](https://www.google.com/maps/place/36.367167+-86.549111)
6. Google Knowledge Graph
7. Freebase Data Dumps
8. [Source](http://www.welch.edu)
9. GRID Release 2015-12-14
10. GRID Release 2016-12-06
11. Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
12. Quora
13. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
14. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
15. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
16. National Center for Education Statistics