Biola University's lecture halls are packed. Five years ago, it might not have been hard to find a seat in a freshman psychology class. But these days, with enrollment at the Christian campus in Southern California increasing by nearly 150 students each year, competition for a spot on the front row is fierce.

In spite of tough economic times that make paying for college difficult, some Christian schools are processing more applications and enrolling more students than ever before. Concerns over hostility toward Christians on secular campuses may be driving believers to seek more friendly educational environments, but one minister who served at a secular campus says students should beware of the dangers of Christian elitism, seclusion, and safety.

According to data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics, fall enrollment at schools affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities increased 12.5 percent between 2003 and 2009. Although those numbers might not reflect the full force of the economic downturn, which started in late 2008, several schools confirmed that enrollment and application numbers have continued to rise, in spite of the bad economy.

At Biola, enrollment has increased 57 percent in the last 10 years, from 2,633 undergraduates in 2001 to 4,132 in 2011. Much of the growth came during the first five years, but during the last five, the school's student body still grew by 20 percent.

Greg Vaughan, vice president for Enrollment Management at Biola, credits recent budget cutbacks at public universities in California and subsequently dramatic increases in tuition for closing the gap between the cost of public and private higher education, making private schools more attractive.

"Biola and other [California] Christian universities are actually benefiting from some of the economic troubles in our state," he said. "Public universities are getting hit hard-it's tougher to get in, costs are going up, and families are just not seeing the values in that as much as they once did."

While private education has become relatively less expensive, more students are graduating from Southern California's high schools, bringing increased enrollment to many of the state's public and private colleges, Vaughn said. And growth itself tends to fuel more growth: "Schools are gaining the kind of critical mass you need to offer programs to meet the needs of a larger constituency."

Union University, a Christian liberal arts school in Jackson, Tenn., has experienced a 113 percent increase in enrollment since the fall of 1996, with a 2011 record enrollment of 4,205 new students. But Union's growth is not typical, said Rich Grim, senior vice president for Enrollment Services. Enrollment trends at a number of Christian institutions remain strong, but not all schools have experienced growth during the last few years, he said: "There are a number of challenges facing the higher education communities, including a weakened economy, underprepared students, increased competition, and changing demographics."

Despite growth at other Christian colleges, some schools have chosen to keep their enrollment numbers at consistent levels, even though they're receiving more applications. At Grove City College, in Beaver Falls, Pa., administrators have chosen not to increase enrollment because the school is at its housing and teaching capacity, Thomas Ball, director of the school's Financial Aid office, said. The number of students applying to Grove City each year fluctuates, but more applicants are coming from home school or private Christian school backgrounds, Ball said.

Administrators at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, also chose not to increase the size of the incoming freshman class during the last five years, even though they have seen a 7 percent increase in applications, said Jessica King Gereghty, director of admissions, counseling, and recruitment: "We've had several record years in the last five years, but we haven't aimed to grow. We aim for a certain size, and admit a certain number each year."

The increased interest in Christian higher education may be fueled by more frequent challenges to faith at secular schools. A study conducted in 2007 by Neil Gross, assistant professor of sociology at Harvard, and Solon Simmons, assistant professor of conflict analysis and sociology at George Mason University, found that professors are less religious than the general U.S. population. Some attack their students' faith directly, while others exert more subtle pressure to conform. Administrators also have stripped away protections for campus Christian organizations at several schools, making it harder for students to meet with others who share their faith.

Although it might be more challenging for Christian students to survive secular schools with their faith intact, believers shouldn't automatically assume they're supposed to stay away from state schools, said Matt Lucas, a former campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the University of South Carolina.

"Evangelism can be shortchanged by a mindset of withdrawal from the world that can carry over into the rest of life", said Lucas, who now serves as pastor of Reformation Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, N.C.

Christian colleges don't intentionally foster an elitist spirit, but their students sometimes graduate with the idea that they "have all the answers", which can come across as arrogant and unloving, Lucas said. Students at Christian colleges also run the risk of developing an "us versus them" mentality because they come from an environment where their faith is rarely challenged, Lucas said.

Students must choose to attend a Christian school for the right reasons, and not because they don't want to encounter any kind of spiritual danger. Christians should not choose a school simply because they think they will be safe, with no intellectual, spiritual or moral challenges to their faith, Lucas said.

Christian colleges can be very helpful for giving students a framework view that is theologically driven, but students who want to avoid being tested altogether are expecting something very different from the Christian life Jesus promised, in which there will be opposition, Lucas said.

"The world is one big test, no matter where you go," he said.