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Start with
No loans
End with
No debt
Gain hands-on marketplace
experience
Education is not just theory
In the Practicum phase, we help you discover your passions, gifts, and strengths while you get hands on experience in the field of your choice through an apprenticeship, internship, or self-directed research study.
Learn how to
thrive in the context of community
Grow deeper with God and His body
Learn to thrive in real homes (not dorms), prepare and eat real meals (not cafeteria food) and build real, lifelong friendships in a community of like-minded people following Jesus into a life of flourishing.
Become wise, mature, and productive...
...through holistic education & discipleship
We’ve cultivated an environment that encourages growth in every aspect of life – intellectually, spiritually, practically, professionally, and missionally.
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Graduate with
a Bachelor's
in 2 years
An accelerated degree path through year-round learning
In Phase 1, build a foundation for the rest of your life as you come to understand our common human calling. In Phase 2, discover and pursue your personal kingdom calling through hands on experience in the field of your choice.
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The Core
Discover Our Common Human Calling
As carriers of the “Imago Dei,” each and every one of us is called to represent God to the world and bring His Kingdom to Earth. In The Core Program, we study one subject at a time in the flow of the biblical narrative, beginning and ending with God, to lay a foundation for this common human calling—a foundation from which to build your life.
Knowledge was not meant to be fragmented. Our modular, sequential curriculum restores the unity of knowledge through the flow of the biblical narrative. From Theology to Biology, on to Anthropology and Fine Arts, and back through again, our unique Core Curriculum walks you through what has traditionally been called “the Liberal Arts” in a way you’ve never experienced before. In Year 1, students embark on the pursuit of Wisdom through each module of the Core Curriculum. In Year 2, they'll go through the same curriculum in the pursuit of Virtue—getting to know God as Alpha and Omega.
The Practicum
Discover Your Personal Kingdom Calling
In the Core, you discovered our common human calling and built a framework to understand God's story. Now it's time to play your part in it. In the Practicum, discover your passions, gifts, and talents and build a portfolio of marketable skills through hands-on experience.
Research studies show that we get, keep, and lose jobs due to soft skills. In Year 1, students engage with a soft skills curriculum that targets what local and national employers say are missing from the workforce. Students also learn and live out a theology of work—that work is not a result of the fall, but part of how we bear the image of our Creator and participate in His redemption and restoration of all things. Throughout their studies at Excel, students work locally, develop marketable skills, and learn how to communicate those skills through a professional dossier.
Students in the Marketplace
Below are just a few examples of recent graduates showcasing their professional dossiers. Click "Learn More" to see what your dossier will look like when you graduate.
Koehn Manthei
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For the first 15 months of the accelerated bachelor's program, I gained a broad foundation of wisdom through a 15-month intensive study of the liberal arts, with an emphasis in philosophy. Then in January of 2024, I began working in The Excel Creative art studio. My work focused primarily on audio engineering, but it included all aspects of music production, like writing, arranging, producing, mixing, mastering, and performing my original music, as well as producing and mixing music for other artists. By the end of my time at Excel, I had mixed and produced my own EP. In the future, I hope to use the skills I learned here to empower other artists, bringing their creative ideas to life. I purposely learned every step of the process of producing a song so that I could help anyone with any step along the way.
Carter Abney
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Starting my real estate journey in April 2024, I knew I had a lot to learn. While pre-licensing coursework gave me the foundation in contracts, property law, and market principles, I quickly realized that knowledge alone wouldn’t make me successful. I made it a priority to study the market consistently, ask questions, and lean on mentors for guidance. Slowly, I realized that expertise isn’t just about time in the industry—it’s about preparation, effort, and how well you listen to your clients’ needs. Not sure what I would be able to accomplish in my first year, I was thrilled when I helped buyers purchase a house for the first time in August, just four months after getting my license. Each challenge reinforced that real estate is about more than just closing deals—it’s about guiding people through uncertainty and helping them make informed decisions. Not long after, I secured my first listing for sellers, which felt like a major breakthrough. Since then, I've been able to sell three homes within my first year in the industry.
Katie Schmidt
In my role as a Social Media Manager at Provisions Mercantile and Radius Chiropractic, I have gained immense knowledge on content creation, marketing strategies, and marketing execution. One of the key strengths I have developed is creating effective content strategies that align with the brand's objectives and target audience. I have honed my skill of discovering trends early on and customizing them to fit the company's brand. This helps the business reach their niche audience and stay relevant in the ever-changing realm of social media marketing. This has allowed me to build authentic connections with my audience while producing measurable results.
Joshua Pile
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My training in media production didn’t necessarily happen in a classroom—it was something that matured through boots on the ground experiences behind my camera. It happened in intense disaster zones, on construction sites, firing ranges, in conversation with small business owners, and during tame coffee shop moments when I could put the camera down and finally reflect on what on Earth just happened. This has been a self-driven, deeply personal, and entrepreneurially rich journey that has taught me that in the end it’s been the relationships along the way that held the most value.
Matthew Conlin
Fueled by a desire to make a difference in wilderness settings, I pursued an associate's degree in Emergency Medical Science and worked diligently to obtain my Paramedic Certification. Along the way, I was honored to be elected class president, a role that allowed me to bridge communication between faculty and students while also earning my BLS, PALS, and ACLS certifications. Over the past three years, I've had the privilege to serve at Buncombe County EMS in both full-time and part-time positions. I've been trained as a Community Paramedic, and I take great pride in my role as a BLS instructor, where I've had the opportunity to teach several BLS and CPR classes.
Danielle Walz
I have served at Radius Chiropractic for almost 3 years now as a Chiropractic Assistant. This role has allowed me to grow my administrative skills in a medical office environment while serving the greater community of Asheville. Prior training for this position required a 6 month onboarding process that consisted of online training module videos, in person shadow experience, reading books and other online resources, and in person science training from local physicians and professionals.
Throughout Your Time, You Will...
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Live Within Community
The students' journey with Excel College takes place on our Black Mountain campus, just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. You’ll learn to thrive in real homes, prepare and eat shared meals, and build lifelong friendships in a community of like-minded people.
For many of our students, our community has been the most transformative part of their experience. Whether it’s hiking with classmates, visiting waterfalls, playing soccer and grilling out on the weekends, being mentored by faculty, or worshipping together, life at Excel extends beyond the classroom.
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Flourish Through Discipleship
Discipleship is at the core of what we do. From the classroom to the marketplace, the home to community gatherings, we’ve cultivated an environment that encourages growth intellectually, spiritually, practically, professionally, and missionally. Our team of coaches and mentors live and work from our Black Mountain campus, walking with students through each step of their journey. Students will be encouraged, challenged, and strengthened as they learn what it’s like to participate in a community focused on discipleship.
Grow Through Experience
True education must go beyond the classroom, thus experiential learning is a key component throughout the program. Students discover truth with their cohort in a unique classroom experience, learn to manage a home, and build practical, marketable skills in their place of work—all while building the character needed to flourish as a member of a community. Below are some examples of employers and partners that our students have the opportunity to work with.
What's Happening
Listen
Read
What Is Classical Christian Education?
What it is, why it's important, and what it looks like within our model at Excel College.
The Essentiality of Virtue
What happens when we train people to be skilled before they become virtuous?
"A lot more is possible here than people might initially think.”
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PO Box #190
Ridgecrest, NC 28770
admissions@theexcelcollege.com
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