Chicago Theological Seminary

What Chicago Theological Seminary does

Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) is a private, nonprofit theological seminary founded in 1855 in Chicago, Illinois, with 101-250 employees and a 170-year progressive social justice legacy. The institution offers graduate theological degree programs — Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Sacred Theology (STM), Doctor of Ministry (DMin), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Arts pathways, and a Certificate in Theological Studies — with concentrations in Chaplaincy Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Interreligious Engagement, Study of Black Faith & Life, and Islamic Chaplaincy. CTS is notable for offering a first-of-its-kind fully online accredited MDiv, a fully online DMin, and a hybrid intensive format for Islamic chaplaincy coursework delivered in partnership with Bayan Chicago. The seminary also publishes the Our 7 Neighbors podcast hosted by Reza Aslan and runs a LEED Gold certified campus with chapel, dining, and meeting facilities.

The underlying technology is a conventional online learning platform supporting remote coursework, combined with on-campus hybrid intensive weeks and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) based field education. The product is delivered through direct admissions via ctschicago.edu, with cross-registration rights to 700+ additional courses through the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS) consortium of 12 member seminaries, and additional academic partnerships with Hartford International University for Religion & Peace and the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Revenue mechanics consist primarily of tuition and fees from degree and certificate programs (not publicly disclosed; audit option at $300 per course), charitable contributions and planned giving through the Office of Advancement, and (historically) facility rental income from wedding and event venues, which has now been suspended amid a stated period of institutional transition and strategic planning. Go-to-market is a sales-led admissions process targeting prospective graduate students, working ministers, and clergy, supplemented by content marketing (podcast, social media, named lecture series such as the Castañeda-Jennings, Kenneth B. Smith, and C. Shelby Rooks lectures, and Wednesday Gatherings). Leadership is headed by President and Professor of Public Theology Brad R. Braxton, with Emily Vogt as Academic Dean.

Name

Chicago Theological Seminary

Legal name

Chicago Theological Seminary

Website

https://ctschicago.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chicago Theological Seminary is a 170-year-old private, nonprofit graduate theological seminary in Chicago offering accredited MDiv, STM, DMin, PhD, and certificate programs on-campus and fully online, with concentrations in interreligious engagement, Islamic chaplaincy, and social justice leadership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interfaith & Ecumenical Theological Colleges (EDAHAKAL), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Graduate ministry programs
• Online seminary degrees
• Clinical pastoral education
• Interfaith leadership training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Programs: Revenue generated from tuition fees for degree programs including MDiv, MA, STM, DMin, PhD, and certificate programs. Students pay tuition for credits and courses taken.
2. Facility Rentals: Venue rental revenue from wedding venues (Clark Chapel, Skyline Chapel, dining room) and meeting/event spaces including classrooms and conference rooms
3. Donations and Advancement: Charitable contributions and planned giving programs supporting the seminary's mission and operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicago Theological Seminary delivers accredited graduate-level theological education through the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts in Islamic Leadership, Master of Sacred Theology (STM), Doctor of Ministry (DMin), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and a Certificate in Theological Studies, with concentrations in Islamic Chaplaincy, LGBTQ Studies, Interreligious Engagement, Study of Black Faith & Life, and Muslim Studies. Programs are offered on-campus in Chicago, fully online, or in hybrid formats, complemented by Clinical Pastoral Education field placements and cross-registration access to 700+ courses via the ACTS consortium.

Product overview

Chicago Theological Seminary offers a suite of theological education degree programs and religious leadership training. The core product is the Master of Divinity (MDiv), a three-year program available on-campus and fully online, with six concentrations including Chaplaincy Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Interreligious Engagement, Islamic Chaplaincy, Muslim Studies, and Study of Black Faith & Life. Graduate-level offerings include Master of Sacred Theology (STM), Doctor of Ministry (Online DMin), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). A Certificate in Theological Studies with multiple concentrations and Distance Scholar/Audit options provide flexible entry points. The seminary also offers the Our Seven Neighbors Podcast, Theological Field Education combining Clinical Pastoral Education with field placement, and facility rental services at its Chicago campus venues including Clark Chapel, Skyline Chapel, and dining facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bayan ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayan is a private Islamic graduate school offering accredited MA degrees in Islamic Studies, Islamic Leadership, Islamic Education, Advanced Islamic Theology, and MDiv in Islamic Chaplaincy. CTS partners with Bayan to offer the 75-unit MDiv concentration in Islamic Chaplaincy and MA in Islamic Leadership through Bayan's innovative hybrid intensive format.
• Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTS is a consortium of 12 member seminaries enabling students to cross-register at any member school and gain access to over 700 additional courses. This partnership significantly expands the educational offerings available to CTS students.
• Hartford International University for Religion & PeaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIU is a non-denominational graduate school for religious and theological studies with roots dating back to 1834. Partnership enables collaborative educational opportunities.
• University of Chicago Divinity SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA vibrant community of scholars dedicated to exploring humanity's most vital questions. Partnership enables academic collaboration and cross-institutional opportunities.
• A Just HarvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization running the largest self-standing community soup kitchen in Chicago metro area, serving 54,000+ meals annually. CTS students serve as chaplains and engage in community-based service and advocacy.
• Chicago Sunday Evening ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia ministry founded in 1908 producing video, radio, and podcast content. CTS students gain experience in media production, storytelling, and faith-based broadcasting.
• Coppin AME Church/Coppin Community CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church with 95-year history in Washington Park community. Partnership includes community center programming, affordable housing (Coppin House), and various youth and family services.
• Interfaith Worker JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultifaith nonprofit advancing worker rights through engaging diverse faith communities. CTS students engage in research, advocacy, and grassroots organizing for economic justice.
• Heartland Alliance for Human Need & Human RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization advancing human rights for endangered populations. CTS students serve as chaplains providing spiritual care to at-risk youth from over a dozen countries.
• Cook County Health & Hospitals System (Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the largest HIV/AIDS clinics in the US serving approximately 5,000 persons annually. Partnership with Rush University Medical Center. CTS students provide pastoral care in healthcare setting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pacific School of Religion: UCC-affiliated progressive seminary in Berkeley offering MDiv, DMin, and PhD tracks with strong social-justice and interfaith concentrations. Closest ideological peer to CTS's progressive, justice-oriented positioning.
• Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary: United Methodist seminary on the campus of Northwestern University, also an ACTS member in Chicago. Competes directly for the same local MDiv and DMin students CTS targets.
• Hartford International University for Religion & Peace: Non-denominational graduate school for interreligious studies founded in 1834, with interfaith peace-building focus that parallels CTS's interreligious mission. Explicit academic partner listed in CTS data.
• Union Theological Seminary: Historic progressive mainline seminary in New York offering MDiv, STM, DMin, PhD, with a long-standing social-justice tradition that maps directly onto CTS's progressive firsts identity.
• McCormick Theological Seminary: Presbyterian-related progressive seminary in Chicago and a fellow ACTS member. Operates MDiv and DMin programs in the same Chicago theological cluster, sharing the same cross-registration infrastructure as CTS.
• Bayan Chicago: Private Islamic graduate school offering MA in Islamic Studies, Islamic Leadership, and MDiv in Islamic Chaplaincy. Direct co-development partner with CTS on Islamic theological education, sharing faculty and curriculum.
• Vanderbilt Divinity School: Non-denominational research divinity school offering MDiv and PhD programs with strong social-justice and interfaith orientation. A leading competitor for top-tier PhD theological candidates alongside CTS.
• University of Chicago Divinity School: Ecumenical, research-focused divinity school offering AM, MA, and PhD; an explicit CTS academic partner through ACTS. Overlaps in doctoral-level theological inquiry and interreligious scholarship.
• Luther Seminary: Large ELCA-affiliated seminary with a mature online MDiv and DMin program serving geographically dispersed students. A leading scale competitor in the online theological education category where CTS claims first-mover status.
• Iliff School of Theology: United Methodist progressive seminary in Denver with online MDiv, DMin, and PhD programs targeting working adults. Direct competitor in the online progressive theological education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CTS_Chicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CTSchicagoHD
• Facebookfacebook.com/43990211889
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-theological-seminary
• Instagraminstagram.com/cts_chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Theological Seminary