Clarks Summit University

The Clarks Summit University campus sits in the foothills of the Pocono and Endless Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The 131-acre campus overlooks a four-acre lake, soccer and softball fields and includes an expansive library and new Recreation Center. The Phelps Student Center houses the cafeteria, Huckaby gymnasium and more recreational areas.Our campus in the suburban area of Clarks Summit is about 10 miles from Scranton, the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the county seat of Lackawanna County. Here you'll find rich history, friendly neighborhoods and reasonable cost of living. And it's all easily accessible to the greater Mid-Atlantic region by car, bus or airplane.Clarks Summit University was founded as Baptist Bible Seminary in 1932 in Johnson City, New York.For its first 36 years, the school used the facilities of First Baptist Church in Johnson City. As the student body grew from the first enrollment of 40 students, the college gradually purchased and built buildings of its own.In the 1960s, the need for a new campus became evident. In 1968, Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton assisted in locating the Clarks Summit campus for the school and the school's name was changed to Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania. Classes began in the Seminary in 1972 and in the College's graduate programs in 1989.The school received accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in 1968 and from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 1984. University status was granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in early 2015. The name was changed to Clarks Summit University in 2016.Clarks Summit University is an educational institution that embraces its Baptist convictions. With a commitment to biblical authority, Clarks Summit University continues to serve undergraduate, graduate and seminary students by preparing them for lives of significant service for the cause of Jesus Christ in a variety of ministries and careers.As a learning community dedicated to biblical higher education, Clarks Summit University strengthens the church of God and influences society by cultivating an environment that promotes academic excellence and Christlikeness. Students are challenged to pursue biblical truth and wisdom, to embrace a Christian worldview and to develop professional competence and relational skills.Clarks Summit University aspires to be a community of individuals who love and serve God with all their heart, soul and mind, and who love their neighbor as themselves. We launch our graduates into the world as servants of God and as lifelong learners.