God's Sustaining Grace

Measuring Student Success

A theological seminary’s success is unachievable without faithfulness in two dimensions. Above all it is God’s gracious faithfulness to Greenville Seminary that has upheld us for more than 30 years; all of our operations (academic and administrative) depend on His sustaining grace—which we have not deserved. In the second place, the Seminary’s pursuit of faithfulness to God in our mission to equip men to be preachers, pastors, and churchmen for Christ’s Kingdom among the nations in the context of biblical fidelity, confessional integrity, experimental piety, and ecclesiastical accountability. In light of our dependence upon God’s gracious faithfulness, and our pursuit of institutional faithfulness to Him, the following data helps measure our, and our students’ success. 

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Student & Graduate Statistics 

• 94.1% of our 280 living graduates are either actively engaged in current ministry as pastors, missionaries, Christian school teachers, or church workers; or, honorably retired from ministry. 
• Of those men who have graduated from our Divinity program, over 90% have persisted in ordained gospel ministry beyond five years after graduation. 
• As of 2022, 38% of our graduates are affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), 25% are affiliated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), 8% are Independent or Baptist, and 29% are serving in some other Reformed or Presbyterian denomination (including international denominations). 
• For the 2026-2027 academic year, 40% of our students are full-time, and 46% of our student body is in residence at GPTS.

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Course Evaluations 

• In our course evaluations for the 2026-2027 academic year, the following percentages of students indicate that they strongly agree or agree with the following statements:‍
  • “Course content was organized”: 97.9% 
  • “Course content reflected a consistent biblical and confessional fidelity”: 98.2% 
  • “Course assignments were useful in accomplishing stated course objectives”: 98.9% 
  • “Workload for the course was appropriate relative to other GPTS courses”: 95.3% 
  • “Textbooks required were used and were relevant to the stated course objectives”: 93.2% ‍
  • In our course evaluations for the 2026-2027 academic year, 97.1% of our students indicated that they strongly agree or agree with the statement, “The instructor was effective at teaching the subject matter.” 

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Recent Student Testimonials 

• “Having professors who care for my spiritual wellbeing made Greenville a place to grow not just intellectually, but also in holiness for the purpose of being set apart for ministry.” – Class of 2026 
• “The training has impacted every area of my work. Preaching classes gave structure to my sermons, while theology and polity courses strengthened my Presbyterian convictions. Most importantly, the pastoral classes helped me think more carefully about shepherding souls, counseling, and caring for Christ’s people. This knowledge hasn’t stayed in the classroom; it has flowed directly into my ministry.” – Class of 2026 
• “If I had to describe GPTS in one word, it would be ‘rigor.’ The courses required immense effort. However, the motivation was never just a grade—it was the glory of Christ and the good of his Bride. The faculty constantly reminded us of our ultimate aim: to be a living sacrifice for Christ and a faithful servant to his Bride.” – Class of 2026 

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To promote continuous improvement in our academic programs, our faculty members review student feedback, clarify course outcomes, and evaluate our curriculum (i.e., program requirements and course syllabi) on both monthly and annual bases. Twice annually, the Board of Trustees reviews the academic and administrative programs of the Seminary, including course evaluations, budgets, and personnel decisions. To maintain faithfulness to the doctrinal standards and mission of the Seminary, all members of the faculty and Board of Trustees reaffirm and sign our agreed-upon Statement of Belief & Covenant. 

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GRADUATION RATES

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 Graduation rates were determined by calculating the total number of students enrolled in each degree program, then dividing the number of graduates by the total enrollment. The data was further categorized by full-time enrollment, part-time enrollment, hybrid, and resident students. Data from 2012 through the present was then averaged to produce the graduation rate. Our student drop out/withdrawal rates are 5% for our resident students and 7% for our hybrid students. Common reasons for students not graduating include: the realization of not being called to gospel ministry, changing family needs, employment needs, and transfers to other institutions.

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DURATION OF STUDY FOR GRADUATES

Resident and Hybrid Combined Divinity Program (2015-Present):

• Total graduates: 102
  • 48 completed in 4 years
  • 20 completed in 5 years
  • 34 completed in 6+ years
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Resident-Only Divinity Program (2015-Present):

• Total graduates: 67
  • 40 completed in 4 years
  • 15 completed in 5 years
  • 12 completed in 6+ years
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For more information contact our admissions department: admissions@gpts.edu.