A t mid-semester, most of 50 Multnomah Bible College and Seminary students surveyed said they think the quality of education they are receiving at MBC is worth the price they pay for tuition. Of the 25 men and 25 women surveyed, 84 percent agreed the quality of education is worth the tuition. One-fifth of the students said the education is "definitely worth it." Three students qualified their response, adding, "compared to other schools."

Six percent of the students characterized the professors as "exceptional." One student said, "Five to 10 of the MBC professors are as good as [the others], if not the best in their fields." Responding to the 84 percent who are pleased with their education, registrar Amy Stephens said, "It really does speak to the quality of education and to the caliber of instructors at Multnomah. I think the school as a whole does a good job maintaining its mission--'If it's Bible you want, then you want Multnomah.'"

The dean of faculty, Dr. Garry Friesen, said, "I think these encouraging student responses can be attributed to two things: a solid foundation laid by Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Willard Aldrich, and the excellent faculty that God has brought to both the Bible college and the seminary."

The freshmen class comprised 38 percent of all respondents, with that number split equally across genders. One freshman woman said, "I am learning invaluable things here about the Bible." A freshman man said, "God's word is worth everything we have."

The sophomore class contributed 24 percent. "It's worth going into debt for," said a sophomore woman. The junior class respondents made up 16 percent of the total. One junior man said, "I struggle financially, but it's well worth it." A junior woman said, "It's an incredible deal for the price we are paying." Seniors made up 8 percent of the respondents. One senior man said, "I'm here for the education; the money is just something I have to deal with."

First-year graduate students contributed 8 percent of the respondents. One grad woman said, "The education here at Multnomah is worth any price." Second-year graduate students chipped in at 4 percent and were all women. One said, "Multnomah is awesome--beyond challenging. The education and experience received here are priceless." Third-year graduate students, all men, rounded out the survey, contributing 4 percent. One of the men capped the positive sentiment that so many shared about an MBC education with an immediate response of, "Definitely!"

Eight percent of the respondents thought the education was not worth the tuition. That group consisted of three freshmen and one junior. One freshman man said, "It's worth the time, but not the money." The lone junior said, "The price is too high." The other two respondents had no comment. The remaining 8 percent were undecided on the issue. One undecided sophomore man said, "Some professors are worth the money, but others should gain experience in ministry before they are permitted to teach here." An undecided freshman woman said, "Some professors need more training." One undecided freshman man said, "The level of learning needs to come up. I sometimes feel as though I were back in summer camp again." A junior woman who was still weighing the issue, said, "The education here is good, but the price is high."

President Dan Lockwood said, "As an administration and a board of trustees, we make a conscientious effort to offer a quality education at as low a cost as is reasonable. In fact, this commitment is mandated in Multnomah's constitution. We realize that, among Bible colleges, Multnomah is more expensive than most. We also realize the quality of education and faculty demand it."

"Despite our higher rates, tuition covers only about 67 percent of the actual cost of education," Dr. Lockwood continued. "The remainder comes from other sources, like donations and the student aid benefit. I am particularly pleased by the students' response to the perceived value of a Multnomah education because it reveals a high degree of sophistication in their ability to analyze quality-to-cost issues. I am delighted with their perception."

The students' responses were obtained through direct person-to-person interviews. The exact question asked of all 50 students surveyed was "Do you think the quality of education you are receiving here at Multnomah is worth the price you are paying for tuition?"