Private nonprofit

Fuller Theological Seminary

Pasadena, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·fuller.edu
Total enrollment
1,890
peer median 3,324
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About

Fuller Theological Seminary is an evangelical, multidenominational graduate institution located in Pasadena, California. It offers master’s and doctoral degree programs in theology, psychology, and intercultural studies, with a focus on integrating faith and psychological sciences. The seminary serves a diverse student body from 80 countries and 113 denominations, reflecting its commitment to training leaders for various roles in the church and society.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 11 Title IV programs, 4 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 7 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
11
Passing
4
36.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

11programs
  • Passing4 · 36.4%
  • No Data7 · 63.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
3
No data
7

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

4
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+11.7%
$67,123 vs $60,112
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+49.5%
$66,602 vs $44,535
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+58.8%
$70,717 vs $44,535
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
+119.6%
$106,857 vs $48,653

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

4
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Doctoral Degree · Psychology
206%
$220,313 debt · $106,857 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
79%
$53,000 debt · $67,123 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
66%
$44,168 debt · $66,602 earn
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
53%
$37,688 debt · $70,717 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1960Next review Jun 2027
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools

Accredited since 1957Next review Mar 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 12

  1. Feb 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
  2. May 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
  3. Jun 2022Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
  4. Jun 2021Grant Substantive Change: Other
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  5. Jun 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, students received in Pell grants, alongside $9.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
null total
Direct Loans
$9.9M
517 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Unsubsidized · UG$5K
1 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$7.4M
428 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.4M
88 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 392 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
392
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
2.4%
2017
2.3%
2018
1.0%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Fuller Theological Seminary

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs7
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

446 total completions
01Theology
34477.1%
02Health Professions
9020.2%
03Psychology
122.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,890
12-mo unduplicated
2,701

Gender split

Men
55%1,491
Women
45%1,210

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.91
4 offenses · 2,089 students

3-year trend

4.832 yrs ago3.651 yr ago1.91Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
23
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
4
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2
Aggravated assault
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

4total
  • On campus3
  • Public property1

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
3
Stalking
3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Fuller Theological Seminary vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Fuller Theological Seminary selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectFuller Theological Seminary
1,890
Azusa Pacific University
62%88.4%6,272$19,798R2 Research
Biola University
68%74.3%5,434$28,101Doctoral/Professional
Chapman University
82%65.4%9,760$47,527R2 Research
Claremont Graduate University
1,771R2 Research
Claremont School of Theology
213
Hope International University
49%33.0%1,025$27,653Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Loyola Marymount University
79%45.1%10,179$45,723R2 Research
Occidental College
81%44.2%1,881$39,329Baccalaureate
Pepperdine University
83%62.9%8,976$45,409Doctoral/Professional
Point Loma Nazarene University
77%83.7%4,757$50,168Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Westmont College
70%77.0%1,310$32,926Baccalaureate
Peer group median77%65.4%3,324$39,329

Fuller Theological Seminary Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Address
135 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA 91182

The page contains extensive information about Fuller's various academic programs, accreditation details, and program learning outcomes. It provides specific links to accreditation documentation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WSCUC) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

Visit IR office page

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Fuller Theological Seminary (31)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Augustin Ahimana
    Religion
  • Leith Anderson
    Religion
  • Rob Bell
    Religion
  • James Brenneman
    Education
  • Bill Bright
    Religion
  • Alexander Chow
    Academia
  • Samuel Chu
    Religion
  • Craig Detweiler
    Film and Media
  • Robert Grant
    Religion
  • Timothy Headington
    Business
  • Gregory C. Horn
    Military
  • Willie James Jennings
    Religion
Showing 112 of 31
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about Fuller Theological Seminary

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fuller Theological Seminary.

How many students attend Fuller Theological Seminary?

Fuller Theological Seminary reports a total enrollment of 1,890 students per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Fuller Theological Seminary located?

Fuller Theological Seminary is located in Pasadena, California 91182.

Who runs Institutional Research at Fuller Theological Seminary?

Fuller Theological Seminary's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

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