Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #598 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #461 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $69,450, placing Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the 72.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's composite ranking reflects its distinctive focus on theological education, with outcomes that place it among the top faith-based institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. The seminary's return-on-investment performance demonstrates how specialized theological training can support meaningful career pathways for graduates entering ministry and related fields. ---
Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #598 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private university located in Wake Forest, NC, serving roughly 585 undergraduates. The institution maintains a 84.6% freshman retention rate and a 58.1% six-year graduation rate. Where Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #461 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $69,450, reflecting the institution's focus on Theology and related fields that lead to stable career pathways. The earnings figures demonstrate meaningful financial outcomes for graduates entering ministry and related professions. Access and affordability sit lower in the composite. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary sits in the 3.8 percentile for access and the 88.2 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. As a specialized theological institution, enrollment is limited by the nature of the program portfolio and institutional mission. Mobility outcomes place the institution in the 61.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the institution's role in preparing graduates for ministry and faith-based vocations where career trajectories differ from secular labor markets.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's published cost of attendance is $22,632. Net price by income band reflects the institution's aid structure: low-income families pay approximately $18,587, middle-income families pay around $11,970, and higher-income families pay approximately $4,099. Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #169 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside institutional aid. Families apply using the FAFSA to determine eligibility and aid packages. The seminary's aid structure aims to make theological education accessible across income levels, though the specific aid-to-cost ratio varies by family circumstances and financial need determination. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $12,516; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $69,450, median federal debt of $25,000 projects to a monthly payment under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a good fit for students called to ministry and theological study who want a private seminary experience in Wake Forest, NC. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $69,450, placing Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in the 72.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #461 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The seminary enrolls a modest share of Pell-eligible students — 18.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants — and maintains a broadly accessible admissions process, admitting about 74.6% of applicants. Fit depends on alignment with the seminary's theological mission and program mix, which favors Theology and related ministerial fields. Students whose vocational calling aligns with those areas will find a seminary experience grounded in theological education and ministerial preparation.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
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This is the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's published cost of attendance is $22,632. Net price by income band reflects the institution's aid structure: low-income families pay approximately $18,587, middle-income families pay around $11,970, and higher-income families pay approximately $4,099.
Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #169 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside institutional aid. Families apply using the FAFSA to determine eligibility and aid packages.
The seminary's aid structure aims to make theological education accessible across income levels, though the specific aid-to-cost ratio varies by family circumstances and financial need determination. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $12,516; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $69,450, median federal debt of $25,000 projects to a monthly payment under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary earn median 4-year earnings of $69,450, placing the institution in the 72.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary #461 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The earnings trajectory reflects outcomes anchored in Theology and related ministerial fields, where graduates move into pastoral, educational, and denominational leadership roles that build financial stability over time. The institution's program portfolio centers on theological and religious studies preparation.
English Language and Literature, General is the largest program by graduate volume, followed by Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries and Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, which together form the core of the seminary's degree output. Graduates from these programs typically enter roles in church leadership, religious education, and faith-based organizational management — career paths that offer moderate early earnings with steady advancement as graduates establish themselves in their denominations and communities.
The concentration in theology-family fields means outcomes reflect the labor-market dynamics of religious and educational employment rather than high-paying technical or finance sectors, yet the long-term financial stability of these roles supports solid 10-year earnings growth for graduates who remain engaged in their fields.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's program portfolio is concentrated in theological and ministerial studies — a signature aligned with the institution's identity as a graduate-focused divinity school. Theological and Ministerial Studies is the largest program with 42 graduates, followed by Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries with 7 graduates, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology with 6 graduates, and English Language and Literature, General with 5 graduates.
Across 0 programs meeting Azimuth's ranking threshold, the institution serves roughly 60 students annually. The program mix reflects Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's positioning as a specialized theological seminary.
Theology represents the dominant concentration, with graduates entering ministry, pastoral leadership, academic theology, and related faith-based professional pathways. These fields are grad-school-dependent in the sense that many graduates continue to doctoral study, denominational leadership roles, or specialized ministry certifications — contexts where four-year earnings figures capture early-career outcomes but undercount the full trajectory of graduates who pursue advanced theological training or denominational advancement.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary serves students preparing for vocational ministry and theological scholarship. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework applies differently to seminary graduates than to secular-degree holders, as employment outcomes depend heavily on denominational hiring, church staffing, and academic theology positions rather than broad labor-market demand signals.
For prospective students, earnings outcomes should be weighed alongside mission alignment, theological training quality, and placement into ministry roles — factors that extend beyond the four-year earnings metric alone.
