Category: Seminaries

	TABLE 2.10 and 2.11 HEAD COUNT and FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT ENROLLMENT BY DEGREE CATEGORY AND PROGRAM
	ALL MEMBER SCHOOLS
	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Basic Ministerial Leadership MDiv
HC	29842	30438	31143	32005	33287	34,234	34,505	34,935	34,120	33,319	32,773	32,850	32,369	32,235
FTE	22782	23784	24175	24065	25012	26,250	26,595	25,938	25,674	24,231	24,400	24,386	24,411	23,996
Basic Ministerial Leadership Non-MDiv
HC	7632	8443	7882	8690	9338	10,529	11,018	11,030	11,031	11,063	11,104	11,225	10,932	11,438
FTE	5421	6032	5516	5968	6519	6,575	6,772	6,342	6,407	6,272	6,373	6,364	6,400	6,614
General Theological Studies
HC	7015	7509	7666	7560	7728	9,382	9,831	9,844	9,598	9,226	9,049	9,266	8,843	8,788
FTE	4685	5099	5045	5138	5229	5,589	5,610	5,649	5,594	5,434	5,383	5,482	5,332	5,265

 

 

Annual Data Tables/FactBooks

http://www.ats.edu/resources/pages/annualdatatablesfactbooks.aspx

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

Collated by Andrew D. Rowell, March 2013

 

 
Download Excel document of Rise of the non-MDiv – ATS Enrollment 1999-2012

Comments: Note that MDiv and General Theological Studies enrollment maxed out in 2005 and 2006, while non-MDiv masters degree Head Count hit an all time high in 2012. I started my blog in January 2006–I think there was indeed less "felt need" for a theological education once the internet boomed with blogs and podcasts from seminary professors and church leaders.

Note: I did this research for a separate project but thought I would share it here for others' benefit.

See also my post: 

D.Min. enrollment hit an all-time high in 2012

 

 

 

 

Year	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
ATS	6459	6462	6741	6934	7274	7610	7423	7844	7923	7968
	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
	8373	8425	8322	8436	8827	8920	9216	9045	9151	9066
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
	9183	9077	9063	9047	9335
Annual Data Tables/FactBooks
http://www.ats.edu/resources/pages/annualdatatablesfactbooks.aspx
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
Collated by Andrew D. Rowell, April 2013

 
Download Excel document of ATS DMin Enrollment 1988-2012

Comments: Why are there so many people today in Doctor of Ministry programs?

 

5 reasons why there are so many people doing D.Min. programs
today

1. A Ph.D. is too painful and a D.Min. is just right. I think it is
too expensive, long, and painful to get a Ph.D. for most people. The average
time for a Duke Ph.D. in Religion is 5.8
years and that is one of the very best stipends and student-friendly
programs anywhere. And, even if you survive for 6 years living on $20,000 a year
(at best), it is very difficult to get a job. A D.Min. is not a Ph.D. or Th.D.
but does demonstrate initiative, a zeal to learn, and perseverance. 

2. A D.Min. is a way of carving out space to learn. Yes, there are
enormous resources available on the web for pastors and many superb books to
read but it is of course very difficult to find time to get away from the daily
hectic routine and learn. Some ministry leaders are capable of getting away
enough to cultivate vision, assess themselves, even write books, but for many
ministry leaders, a D.Min. program (with the discipline of coursework and time
away) is ideal for carving out time to study, learn, and find solace and
friendship with other pastors.

3. Sometimes churches help with the cost. Sometimes churches will
share some of the cost of the D.Min. program knowing that it benefits them to
have a more balanced, rejuvenated, learning pastor. However, there are some
churches who have had their clergy leave to a larger church after getting a
D.Min. so they feel resentful toward what they paid. The church should structure
their payments knowing that a pastor may leave because of course this can happen
at any time for any reason; They may for example pay 1/2 of tuition right away
but gradually pay for the whole thing if the pastor stays for 5 years after
completing the D.Min.program. (There are a number of costs also for D.Min.
programs that are away from home such as plane tickets and housing for intense
courses but these trips are so rich-in-experience that few seem to complain
about the costs).

4. D.Min. programs are getting better with the web. Rather than just
reading at home by yourself before the intensive courses on campus, with online
course components, ministry leaders can now bond, share, empathize, and learn
online with other pastors in their class before meeting.

5. D.Min. programs have tracks for all sorts of specializations. You
can do a D.Min. in spiritual formation, executive leadership, marriage and
family counseling, preaching, leading parachurch organizations, etc. 

 

Two things to ask about prospective D.Min.
programs 

1. Ask whether you have the opportunity to study with regular seminary
faculty or just adjuncts. What is odd is that some D.Min. programs use
adjuncts almost exclusively so that a student may have very little interaction
with the regular faculty from the school. It is cheaper for the seminary that
way. But you have to wonder as a DMin student if you are getting a first class
education from that seminary with all adjuncts. Some seminaries justify this as
"The regular residential seminary faculty don't know anything about ministry so
it is good they don't teach in the D.Min. program!" But it would be better if
regular seminary faculty could invest in D.Min. students and learn from
them. 

2. Beware of the tendency to get stalled during the dissertation-writing
phase. The other thing to note is that many students get stalled after
coursework writing their "project" or "dissertation" or "thesis." A program
should have a workable template which makes completing the dissertation fairly
straightforward but should also allow room for creative, ambitious projects for
those highly motivated and capable for pulling them off. Ask about how they help
students finish their projects in a timely way.

 

 

 

Note: I did this research for a separate project but thought I would share it here for others' benefit.

See also my posts:

The rise of the non-M.Div. theological masters degree ATS Enrollment 1999-2012

and 

Largest D.Min. Programs 2012, 2011, 1988

 

 

Here are the largest D.Min. Programs in the Association for Theological Schools for 2012, then 2011, then 1988. The Excel document is below. 

 

	2012
Rank	School	2012 HC	2012 FTE
1	Fuller Theological Seminary	1249	426
2	Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary	442	147
3	Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	347	170
4	United Theological Seminary	341	114
5	Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	293	129
6	Southern Baptist Theological Seminary	282	131
7	Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary	267	89
8	Talbot School of Theology	242	87
9	Ashland Theological Seminary	237	79
10	Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary	173	98
11	Columbia Theological Seminary	172	77
12	Trinity Evangelical Divinity School	169	56
13	Wesley Theological Seminary	154	41
14	Asbury Theological Seminary	151	55
15	Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary	146	49
16	San Francisco Theological Seminary	144	48
17	Denver Seminary	140	47
18	New York Theological Seminary	140	47
19	New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary	139	64
20	George Fox Evangelical Seminary	138	46
21	Assemblies of God Theological Seminary	137	60
22	Reformed Theological Seminary	131	44
23	Dallas Theological Seminary	119	40
24	Drew University Theological School	106	35
25	Knox Theological Seminary	104	35
26	Regent University School of Divinity	104	35
27	Westminster Theological Seminary	101	34

 

	2011
Rank	School	2011 HC	2011 FTE
1	Fuller Theological Seminary	1258	419
2	Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary	429	143
3	Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	321	147
4	Southern Baptist Theological Seminary	295	126
5	Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary	254	85
6	United Theological Seminary	251	84
7	Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	227	115
8	Ashland Theological Seminary	216	72
9	Talbot School of Theology	215	83
10	New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary	210	100
11	Columbia Theological Seminary	191	81
12	Reformed Theological Seminary	189	63
13	Wesley Theological Seminary	183	61
14	Trinity Evangelical Divinity School	173	58
15	Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary	161	54
16	San Francisco Theological Seminary	153	51
17	Denver Seminary	150	50
18	Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary	148	91
19	Asbury Theological Seminary	145	53
20	New York Theological Seminary	138	46
21	Dallas Theological Seminary	133	44
22	Assemblies of God Theological Seminary	131	55
23	Drew University Theological School	129	43
24	Westminster Theological Seminary	114	38
25	Pittsburgh Theological Seminary	113	38
26	George Fox Evangelical Seminary	112	37
27	Bethel Seminary	105	35

 

	1988
Rank	School	1988 HC
1	Fuller Theological Seminary	680
2	San Francisco Theological Seminary	361
3	McCormick Theological Seminary	339
4	Trinity Evangelical Divinity School	251
5	Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	250
6	Columbia Theological Seminary	229
7	Southern Baptist Theological Seminary	178
8	Boston University School of Theology	165
9	Princeton Theological Seminary	127
10	Pittsburgh Theological Seminary	126
11	Drew University Theological School	120
12	United Theological Seminary	117
13	Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary	114
14	Talbot School of Theology	113
15	Andover Newton Theological School	104
16	Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary	101
17	Candler School of Theology of Emory University	92
18	Saint Paul School of Theology	92
19	Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary	91
20	Asbury Theological Seminary	87
21	Reformed Theological Seminary	87
22	Eden Theological Seminary	86
23	University of St. Mary of the Lake	86
24	Oral Roberts University School of Theology	84
25	Denver Seminary	80

 

Table 2.15 Head Count and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment by Degree Category, Fall 2011 and Fall 2012
http://www.ats.edu/Resources/PublicationsPresentations/Documents/AnnualDataTables/2011-12AnnualDataTables.pdf
http://www.ats.edu/Resources/PublicationsPresentations/Documents/AnnualDataTables/2012-13AnnualDataTables.pdf
Table 2.27
http://www.ats.edu/Resources/PublicationsPresentations/Documents/FactBook/1991-92.pdf
Advanced Ministerial
Annual Data Tables/FactBooks
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
Collated by Andrew D. Rowell, April 2013

 

Download Excel document of the Advanced Ministerial Training Largest Schools Fall 2012, 2011, 1988

Note: I did this research for a separate project but thought I would share it here for others' benefit.

See also my posts: 

D.Min. enrollment hit an all-time high in 2012

and

The largest seminaries: Fall 2012 enrollment data for Association for Theological Schools