Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Featured Rankings
About Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
According to Wikipedia, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at first housed on the campus of Furman University. The seminary has been an innovator in theological education, establishing one of the first Ph.D. programs in religion in the year 1892. After being closed during the Civil War, it moved in 1877 to a newly built campus in downtown Louisville and moved to its current location in 1926 in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. In 1953, Southern became one of the few seminaries to offer a full, accredited degree course in church music. For more than fifty years Southern has been one of the world's largest theological seminaries, with an FTE enrollment of over 3,300 students in 2015.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Online Degrees
MDiv in Divinity
Degree Concentrations
- Christian Ministry
- Great Commission Studies
- Biblical Counseling
- Biblical Counseling
- Required Credits: 88
- Format: Fully online
MA in Theological Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Lay Leadership
- Required Credits: 48
- Format: Fully online
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 289 | 56% | 79% | 48% | 1120 | 23 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $11,476 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,633 | 1,204 | 4,429 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Southern Baptist Theological Seminary?
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is located at 2825 Lexington Rd, Louisville, KY 40280-0001.
What Is Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Known For?
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks #47 in the U.S. and #184 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks #191 in the U.S. and #637 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks #467 in the U.S. and #1701 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks #664 in the U.S. and #2860 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSouthern Baptist Theological Seminary ranks #737 in the U.S. and #2501 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Most Influential Alumni?
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Religious Studies, Philosophy, and Social Work. Here are some of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's most famous alumni:
- Miguel A. De La Torre
- An American theologian.
- Albert Mohler
- An American theologian.
- Benjamin Ladner
- An American academic.
- Russell D. Moore
- An American evangelical theologian.
- Ed Stetzer
- An American Christian writer.
- Charles L. Feinberg
- An American biblical scholar.
- Frank Stagg
- A Theologian, author and pastor from the United States.
- James Emery White
- An American baptist theologian.
- Zulu Sofola
- A Nigerian writer, First Female professor of Theatre Arts .
- Adam W. Greenway
- An American theologian and religious leader.
- Paul R. House
- An American scholar.
- Reginald Bibby
- A Canadian sociologist.
