Private nonprofit

SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary

El Dorado Hills, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·sum.edu
6-yr Graduation
85%
+28.5pp vs peer
Total enrollment
319
peer median 1,459
Avg net price
$21,042
-$4.1k vs peer
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocuments

About

SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary is an accredited online institution located in El Dorado Hills, California. It specializes in theological education with a focus on equipping leaders for the Pentecostal ministry, offering degree programs such as Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Ministry and Master of Divinity. The college was founded with the aim to combine academic instruction with practical ministry experience and personal mentorship.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
59
59 candidates competed
Admitted
24
40.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
24
100.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
85%+28.5pp vs peer
4-year graduation
10%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
14%
Full-time retention
64%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
77%
Non-Pell
79%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

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

FVT/GE

Of 8 Title IV programs, 1 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
8
Passing
1
12.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

8programs
  • Passing1 · 12.5%
  • No Data7 · 87.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
0
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.

1
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+6.2%
$36,973 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

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

1
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
74%
$27,500 debt · $36,973 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 2019Next review Jun 2031
PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 2017Next review Jun 2025
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation

Accredited since 2006Next review Feb 2031

Action history · 5

  1. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  2. Feb 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation
  3. Jun 2020Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation
  4. Jun 2019Initial Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  5. Nov 2017Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$19,744
$30–48k$19,320
$48–75k$21,081
$75–110k$24,025
$110k+—

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$21,042
-$4,119vs peer median $25,161
Federal loans
51.9%
In-state tuition
$10,460
Out-of-state
$10,460

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 104 students received $540K in Pell grants, alongside $867K in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
104
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$540K
$540,424 total
Direct Loans
$867K
140 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$185K
57 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$233K
55 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$449K
28 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.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 155 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.6%
-1.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
155
Defaulted
1
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
23.4%
2017
18.7%
2018
16.0%
2019
0.6%
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 SUM

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs5
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

124 total completions
01Theology
124100.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
319
12-mo unduplicated
679
Undergraduate
439
Graduate
240

Gender split

Men
57%388
Women
43%291

Race / ethnicity composition

Unknown
31.7%
White
29.2%
Hispanic
23.1%
Black
7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
6.1%
Asian
1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3%
Non-resident
0.3%

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 662 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 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

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    IPEDS
    Student-to-faculty
    18.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    5

    SUM vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions SUM selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    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
    SubjectSUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
    		85%—319$21,042—
    Epic Bible College & Graduate School
    		0%78.6%98——
    Northwest University
    		68%83.2%1,053$25,161Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Oral Roberts University
    		57%98.9%5,936$23,600Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Southeastern University
    		44%53.0%11,510$30,209Doctoral/Professional
    William Jessup University
    		56%93.3%1,865$25,300Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
    Peer group median56%83.2%1,459$25,161

    Institutions like SUM

    Explore the federal data for institutions in SUM's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    SUM Institutional Research office

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

    Team
    1 member
    • Edwin Ciraco, Ph.D.
      Institutional Research Officer

    Reports & documents (1)

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

    Frequently asked questions about SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SUM.

    What is the graduation rate at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?

    SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary reports a 6-year graduation rate of 85% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?

    SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary reports a total enrollment of 319 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?

    The average net price at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary is $21,042 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?

    SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary's yield rate is 100.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary located?

    SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary is located in El Dorado Hills, California 95762.

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