Five-Year Report
In fulfillment of its mission and in compliance with Association of Theological Schools (ATS) accreditation standards, the School of Ministry Graduate Department evaluates and publicly discloses two key measures of educational effectiveness: year-to-year retention rates and degree completion (graduation) rates. These metrics are tracked across three graduate programs — the Master of Divinity (MDiv), the Master of Arts (MA), and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
DEFINITIONS
Measures of Student Achievement
Retention Rate
The percentage of matriculated students from a given cohort year who re-enrolled in the following academic year, measured fall-to-fall. A dash (—) indicates no students were enrolled in that degree for the given year.
Graduation Rate
The percentage of students in a starting cohort who completed their degree within 200% of the expected timeframe — 6 years for MDiv, 4 years for MA, and 8 years for PhD — as defined by ATS standards.
Placement Rate
The percentage of graduates who, within one year of graduation, either received a vocational placement, received a non-vocational placement, or went on for further study. Data is gathered through a graduate ministry survey administered during the semester of graduation and relies on self-reported responses. Because no centralized employment tracking system exists for theological institutions, self-reported survey data represents the most viable and timely method for measuring ministerial placement.
RETENTION
Year-to-Year Retention Rates (2020–2024)
Percentage of new students in a given fall semester who are still enrolled or graduated in a subsequent fall semester.
| Programs | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Master of Divinity | 90% | 81% | 94% | 82% | 50% |
| Master of Arts | 100% | 67% | 67% | 44% | 75% |
| Doctor of Philosophy | –â¶Ä“ | 87% | 80% | 50% | 70% |
GRADUATION
Degree Completion Rates (200% Timeframe)
The percentage of students in a starting cohort who completed their degree within 200% of the expected timeframe.
| Programs | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Master of Divinity | 56% | 77% | 82% | 86% | 50% |
| Master of Arts | — | 0% | 100% | — | 33% |
| Doctor of Philosophy* | — | — | — | — | — |
* Graduation rate data for the PhD program are not yet available, as the program has not reached its first 200% completion window (8 years).
PLACEMENT
Placement Rates
The percentage of graduates who, within one year of graduation, either received a vocational placement, received a non-vocational placement, or went on for further study. Data is gathered through a graduate ministry survey administered during the semester of graduation and relies on self-reported responses.
| Programs | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Master of Divinity | 90% | 100% | 85% | 100% | 100% |
| Master of Arts | 50% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Doctor of Philosophy* | — | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |