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
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostAcademic programsEnrollment trendsFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
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.

IPEDS
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.

FVT/GE

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.

DAPIP
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.

College Scorecard
Net price by income not reported.
Federal loans
0.0%
In-state tuition
$11,046
Out-of-state
$11,046

Academic programs at SBTS

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs17
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

737 total completions
01Theology
65088.2%
02Business
283.8%
03Philosophy/Religion
223.0%
04Communication
141.9%
05Liberal Arts
141.9%
06Education
91.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
4,298
12-mo unduplicated
5,469
Undergraduate
1,181
Graduate
4,288

Gender split

Men
79%4,310
Women
21%1,159

Race / ethnicity composition

White
90.0%
Non-resident
4.7%
Asian
2.8%
Black
1.9%
Hispanic
0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Unknown
0.1%

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
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.

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
SubjectThe Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
40%—4,298——
Asbury Theological Seminary
——1,689——
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College
38%—183$10,949—
Lexington Theological Seminary
——82——
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
——103——
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
70%—2,349$10,829—
Peer group median40%—936$10,889

Institutions like SBTS

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

IPEDS

SBTS Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Phone
(800) 626-5525
Address
2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40280

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness oversees institutional research and assessment programs, ensuring the strength and integrity of educational programs. It supports the seminary in maintaining stable program enrollments, timely studies completion, and ministry placement resources for students.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Joseph C. Harrod
    Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness, Department Chair of Biblical Spirituality

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.

Who runs Institutional Research at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary?

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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