Infographic by MS Jones NYC

The Association of Theological Schools’ annual data tables provide a snapshot of schools accredited by the organization. In the most recent release this spring, the ATS numbers showed a slight increase in the field in terms of total head count enrollment over the past decade – from 72,116 total students at 273 schools in the 2014-15 school year to 79,015 at 281 schools in the 2023-24 school year. (That’s an increase in average head count as well.) The data shows that most schools are relatively small – roughly 67% of schools have a head count under 150 students. And just over 30% of schools have less than $1 million in an endowment or long-term savings.

Reflective questions (left) can provide boards with prompts to consider for internal discussion and board education.

You can find out more about the Governance Initiative and upcoming work at intrust.org.

 

---

Questions for reflection

• How would you describe your school in terms of what the numbers show (e.g., growth, decline, same)?
• What statistics or benchmarks do you use to measure your school?
• How important is an endowment to your school?