Private nonprofit

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Louisville, Kentucky·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·sbts.edu
6-yr Graduation
40%
Total enrollment
4,298
peer median 936
Use this data
Ask Clema

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

Applied
605
605 candidates competed
Admitted
338
55.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
189
55.9% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
40%
4-year graduation
35%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
35%
Full-time retention
79%

Program outcomes

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

Of 33 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 31 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
33
Passing
2
6.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

33programs
  • Passing2 · 6.1%
  • No Data31 · 93.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
31

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.

2
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+50.5%
$67,008 vs $44,535
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Doctoral Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+74.0%
$77,507 vs $44,535

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1968Next review Jun 2029
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools

Accredited since 1938Next review Jul 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 4

  1. Dec 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jun 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
  3. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
  4. Dec 2012Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by income not reported.
Federal loans
0.0%
In-state tuition
$13,086
Out-of-state
$13,086

Academic programs at SBTS

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs17
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

721 total completions
01Theology
65490.7%
02Business
233.2%
03Liberal Arts
172.4%
04Communication
121.7%
05Philosophy/Religion
111.5%
06Education
40.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
4,298
12-mo unduplicated
5,633
Undergraduate
1,204
Graduate
4,429

Gender split

Men
78%4,390
Women
22%1,243

Race / ethnicity composition

White
89.6%
Non-resident
5.0%
Asian
2.4%
Black
2.1%
Hispanic
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Unknown
0.1%

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
48

SBTS vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions SBTS 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
SubjectThe Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
40%4,298
Asbury Theological Seminary
1,689
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College
38%183$10,255
Lexington Theological Seminary
82
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
103
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
70%2,349
Peer group median40%936$10,255

Frequently asked questions about The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SBTS.

What is the graduation rate at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary?

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary reports a 6-year graduation rate of 40% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary?

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary reports a total enrollment of 4,298 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the yield rate at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary?

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's yield rate is 55.9%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary located?

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is located in Louisville, Kentucky 40280-0001.

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card