Our Beginnings

Lancaster Theological Seminary was founded in 1825 at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, as a seminary of what was then called the Reformed Church in the United States, often called the German Reformed to differentiate it from the Dutch Reformed or the Reformed Church in America. At the time of our founding, there was one professor, five students, and approximately 200 books in the theological library.

Facts & Stats

18

Denominations represented in our diverse student body

20

Categories of professions (and counting) in which our students worked prior to enrollment

69%

Of Lancaster Seminary students receive financial aid

25

Rewarding career paths (and counting) to attain with a theological degree

Student Body Statistics (as of October 7, 2022)

Enrollment: 73*

*Two Master of Divinity students are enrolled in the Certificate in Anglican Studies, and may not be counted twice in the total headcount.

Degree and Non-Degree Program Enrollment:

FemaleMaleDay
Program
Weekend
Program
Total
Master of Divinity231633639
MA (Religion)-0--0--0--0--0-
MA (Ministry & Leadership)12123
Doctor of Ministry211031-0-31
Unclassified/Certificate Programs-0-2112
Totals 45303639*73

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) [Based on 1 headcount = 12 credit hours]: 50

10:1 = Student:Core Faculty Ratio  [Core Faculty = 7, Adjunct Faculty = 30]

Denominations Represented:

  • African Methodist Episcopal
  • Baptist
  • Church of God in Christ
  • Church of the Brethren
  • Episcopal
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  • Mennonite
  • Moravian
  • No Affiliation
  • Non-Denominational
  • Pentecostal
  • Presbyterian USA
  • Quaker
  • Roman Catholic
  • Unitarian Universalist Association
  • United Church of Christ
  • United Methodist Church
  • Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches

Race/Ethnicity
African American35%
Caucasian63%
Asian 1%
Two or More Races1%

Age Distribution
40 and under21%
41-5030%
51-5928%
60 and over21%

Sexual Orientation (Self-Reported)

All Students Enrolled LGBTQ Students
__%

Campus Racial Diversity Percentages

2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
Persons of ColorCaucasianPersons of ColorCaucasianPersons of ColorCaucasian
Students37%63%39% 61%43%57%
Regular Faculty29%71%29%71%29%71%
Adjunct Faculty35%65%34%66%46%54%
Staff & Administration33%67%31%69%16%83%
Trustees20%80%20%80%43%57%

Current Students Come From:

Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Maryland

Missouri
New York
North Carolina
Ohio

Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia

 

Financial Aid

69% of students receive Lancaster Seminary scholarships and/or federal Stafford loans

Housing

7% of students live in Seminary-owned housing

 

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