On several occasions beginning in the 1960s, discussions were held about establishing a Reformed Christian college on the West Coast. In November 2001, a small group met in
Chino, California to consider the feasibility of such an institution and unanimously agreed to pursue the creation of a four-year liberal arts college that would reflect a Reformed biblical perspective in all aspects of its academic and campus life. The group also determined that the college should be governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Directors drawn from various Reformed and Presbyterian churches. Although the college has no formal denominational affiliation, it adheres to Presbyterian and Reformed confessional standards, including the
Westminster Confession and Catechisms, the
Belgic Confession, the
Heidelberg Catechism, and the
Canons of Dort. The college then operated on the campus of the former
William Carey International University, which it shared with the
U.S. Center for World Mission. The 17.5-acre residential campus is located in the East Washington Village neighborhood on the north side of Pasadena, near the foothills of the
San Gabriel Mountains and the
Angeles National Forest. When William Carey International University began the process of selling the property in late 2018—ultimately transferring ownership to a for-profit private boarding school—Providence prepared for another move. In December 2018, the college relocated within the Los Angeles area to a church facility and adjoining offices in Old Town Pasadena, adjacent to
Fuller Theological Seminary. Providence closes at the end of the 2025-26 academic year, with the President citing factors including declining student enrollment, the rising cost of operations, heightened accreditation expectations, loss of federal funds, shifts in donor giving and financial circumstances. ==Accreditation==