Facts about Pittsburgh Seminary

  • Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was founded in 1794.
  • It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
  • The Rev. Dr. David Esterline is the Seminary’s sixth president and professor of cross-cultural theological education.
  • The Seminary is located on a beautiful 13-acre campus in the East Liberty/ Highland Park section of the city of Pittsburgh.
  • The Barbour Library is the largest theological library in the three state region, offering more than 300,000 volumes for research and exploration. Additionally, the Library houses the desk at which Karl Barth wrote his theological works and an autographed copy of his Kirchliche Dogmatic I/1.
  • Eighteen full-time faculty members provide a low student/faculty ratio.
  • During their Middler year, students in the M.Div. program participate in Field Education in a variety of settings including churches (urban, suburban, and rural), hospitals, and other nonprofits and special agencies.
  • Resident students live in one of the four apartment buildings or the residence hall. Apartments range in size from efficiency to four bedroom.

Degree Programs

Student Population

  • Our current students come from 20 U.S. states and international locations.
  • While seminarians, more than 60 percent of master's students participate in a cross-cultural trip through the the Seminary's World Mission Initiative.
  • Students who graduate from Pittsburgh Seminary pursue a wide variety of creative ministries in church, parachurch, and professional settings.

Composition by Racial Ethnic Background

  • Caucasian 66 percent
  • African-American 25
  • Non-resident Alien 5
  • Asian 2
  • Hispanic/Latino(a) 2
  • Two or more races 1
  • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island 1
  • Other 1

Composition by Denomination

  • Presbyterian (U.S.A.) 39 percent
  • United Methodist 16
  • Baptist 14
  • Presbyterian (Other) 9
  • Nondenominational 6
  • Orthodox 3
  • Lutheran 1
  • Other 14

Composition by Gender

  • Men 58 percent
  • Women 42

Composition by Age

  • Master’s Median Age 35
  • D.Min. Median Age 50

Composition by Hours

  • Full-Time 77 percent
  • Part-Time 24

Special Programs

Seminary Costs

  • New for 2016-2017: part-time students may be eligible for merit scholarships and need-based grants.
  • Annual full-time master’s tuition in 2016-2017 is $11,736 or $326/credit.
  • Estimated total annual cost per year for a single student is $30,595 (including health insurance, food, books, rent, tuition, and other expenses).
  • The Seminary awards financial aid in the forms of merit scholarships, need-based tuition grants, housing grants, and work-support to full-time master’s students.
  • Students who qualify for aid can also participate in the work assistance program and receive $9 per hour for up to 10 hours of on-campus work per week.
  • Residence hall and apartment living areas are available at the Seminary at rental rates below market value for the area. PTS underwrites the cost of providing food services.
  • Students supplement the Seminary-provided funds with income from field work, gifts from home congregations and presbyteries, support from parents and others, and student loans.
  • Annual Doctor of Ministry tuition in 2016-2017 is $4,296 or $358/credit.
  • Estimated D.Min. total cost per year is $7,546 (including books, fees, food, housing, and travel).
  • Full-time D.Min. students can also qualify for need-based aid.
  • Learn more about Financial Aid at PTS.

Institutional Effectiveness

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is committed to providing high-quality educational programs. The mission of the Seminary centers on forming and equipping people to serve the church in a broad variety of ministry and community situations, both traditional and emerging. In order to insure we are achieving our mission, we regularly assess our programs and the Seminary in general to determine student achievement and educational effectiveness. We measure and report on quality and effectiveness in four areas. These can be explored by following the links below.

Institutional Outcomes – These are goals for the institution and our graduates independent of the particular program.

Student Achievement – This is the assessment of how well students are achieving the learning outcomes of each academic program.

Overall Satisfaction with Preparation and Experience – This area shows the overall satisfaction of graduates with their entire educational experience at PTS.

Program Completion and Placement – This area provides information on the time to compete the various academic programs as well as information on placement of graduates in various ministry settings.