In 1954, members of the Churches of Christ formed a board of trustees to establish an educational institution in the North Central region of the United States.
After months of consideration, the board decided to establish a liberal arts college and purchased a country estate in Rochester Hills, Michigan, for a campus site.
The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA),[7] primarily competing in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) since the 2017–18 academic year; although they had competed as an associate member for baseball during the 2016–17 school year prior to apply for full membership.
Prior to joining the NAIA, they were also a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and the National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) prior to that, in which the college won a combined eight national championships.
Rochester Christian University competes in 23 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball; and co-ed sports include competitive cheer and esports.