Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis

What Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis does

Aquinas Institute of Theology is a Catholic, Dominican graduate school of theology founded in 1925 and currently operating from a campus in Midtown St. Louis, Missouri, adjacent to Saint Louis University. It serves as the designated Center for Institutional Studies for the Dominican Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres, forming Dominican friars for ordination through a six-year Ratio Studiorum Particularis curriculum, while also educating lay men and women, priests, religious, health care mission leaders, and catechists. The institution's academic portfolio includes eight graduate degree programs (Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, MAPS with a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd track, Master of Arts in Practical Theology specializing in Health Care Mission, Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, and two dual degrees with Saint Louis University) and five graduate certificate programs, supplemented by continuing education through the Ashley-O'Rourke (AOR) Center for Health Ministry Leadership, the Aquinas Children's Worship Partnership, and preaching formation programs. Delivery combines residential instruction in St. Louis with NC-SARA-approved asynchronous, synchronous, and hybrid formats that extend the institution's reach across U.S. state lines.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition (e.g., $925 per credit hour for 2026–27, with full MDiv tuition in the $70K+ range per student), continuing-education registrations, and philanthropic contributions channeled through the Word and Deed Annual Fund, planned giving, the 1925 Society, and major grants — most notably $4 million from Lilly Endowment supporting the Center for Continuing Education, the New Frontiers in Preaching program, and the Aquinas Children's Worship Partnership. The institution is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, recognized by NC-SARA for distance education, governed by a 25-member Board of Trustees, and led by its 11th president, Fr. Vincent Dávila, OP, PhD, who takes office in August 2026 amid a Centennial Celebration and a $10 million fundraising campaign. The operational technology stack is conventional for a small graduate school: Populi for student information, Parchment for transcript ordering, Microsoft Outlook for institutional email, and Microsoft Teams for synchronous online learning.

Name

Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis

Legal name

Aquinas Institute of Theology

Website

https://ai.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aquinas Institute of Theology is a Catholic, Dominican graduate school in St. Louis that offers accredited degree, certificate, and continuing-education programs for Dominican friars in formation, lay ministers, health care mission leaders, and clergy, delivered via residential and NC-SARA-approved distance formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Theological Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAKAM

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAKAE

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

SECONDARYBPAGAJAC

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Graduate theological education
• Pastoral studies programs
• Dominican formation
• Ministry formation programs
• Preaching ministry education

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-louis-de-montferrand

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Graduate Degree Programs: Tuition-based graduate theological education with per-credit-hour pricing for MDiv, MA, MAPS, MAPT, and DMin degree programs
2. Graduate Certificate Programs: Standalone certificate programs in areas such as Spiritual Direction, Biblical Studies, Thomistic Studies, Theological Foundations, and Health Care Mission
3. Continuing Education: Non-credit programs including Aquinas Children's Worship Partnership, Preaching Formation, and community engagement events
4. Donations and Development: The Word and Deed Annual Fund, Planned Giving, and 1925 Society for alumni and supporter contributions

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aquinas Institute of Theology is a Catholic, Dominican graduate school delivering accredited theological degrees, graduate certificates, and continuing education for ordination, ministry, health care mission leadership, and Catholic scholarship. Offerings span residential, hybrid, and online modalities, with tuition-based per-credit-hour pricing, and serve Dominican friars, lay students, clergy, and health care leaders.

Product overview

Aquinas Institute of Theology is a Catholic, Dominican graduate school of theology offering a comprehensive portfolio of theological education programs for lay people, religious, and clergy. The institution provides eight graduate degree programs (Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, MAPS-Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Master of Arts in Practical Theology-Health Care Mission, Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, and two dual degree options with Saint Louis University) and five graduate certificate programs. Specialized offerings include the Ashley-O'Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership providing health care mission education, and continuing education programs including Aquinas Children's Worship Partnership and Preaching Formation. The school operates as a residential institution in St. Louis with online/hybrid options for specific programs, and serves as the Center for Institutional Studies for the Dominican Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ashley-O'Rourke (AOR) Center for Health Ministry Leadership: A center focused on providing Catholic theological education for current and future leaders in the ministry of Catholic health care, offering graduate certificates and degrees in health care mission.

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv) 81-credit hour comprehensive theological education in the Roman Catholic tradition preparing students for ecclesial leadership, ordination, chaplaincy, campus ministry, and religious education.
• Master of Arts in Theology (MA) 36-credit hour academically rigorous degree providing a solid foundation in theology with thesis or major paper track options, preparing students for further academic study or academic careers.
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) 48-credit hour degree integrating theological education with pastoral study and practice, preparing students for ministry roles including campus ministry, catechesis, and liturgical leadership.
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (MAPS-CGS) Unique 48-credit hybrid degree focused on Montessori-based religious formation for children aged 3-12, combining online coursework with intensive seminars at the St. Louis campus.
• Master of Arts in Practical Theology with Specialization in Health Care Mission (MAPT) 36-credit hour degree for health care leaders seeking comprehensive theological grounding, offered through the Ashley-O'Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership with combined online and limited residency format.
• Doctor of Ministry in Preaching (DMin)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2,000 alumni serving worldwide in various ministerial roles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Saint Louis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981At the invitation of St. Louis University's president, Aquinas Institute moved its House of Studies from Dubuque to St. Louis in 1981, forming a partnership with the Jesuit-sponsored university. Aquinas students have access to St. Louis University's library, recreation center, and other academic resources.
• Order of Preachers (Dominican Order)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1216Aquinas Institute is part of the worldwide Order of Preachers founded by St. Dominic in 1216. The institute serves as the designated Center for Institutional Studies for the Dominican Provinces of St. Albert the Great and St. Martin de Porres, charged with forming Dominican friars for the Order's preaching mission.
• Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration offering the Dual Master of Arts in Theology and PhD in Health Care Ethics program, combining Aquinas's Dominican theological education with SLU's health care ethics doctoral program. Students complete coursework at both institutions.
• Saint Louis University School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative dual degree program combining Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies with Master of Social Work, allowing students to complete both degrees in 80 credits instead of 105. Students attend classes at both institutions.
• Catholic Health AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquinas Institute partners with the Catholic Health Association for health care mission programs. CHA has recommended that ethicists in Catholic health care hold an MA in Theology. Programs are aligned with CHA's competencies for mission leaders.
• ACPE Certified InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical Pastoral Education (CPE) partnerships with ACPE Certified Institutions for field education requirements in MDiv and MAPS programs, allowing students to complete Basic Unit of CPE as part of their degree requirements.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dominican House of Studies: Washington, D.C.-based graduate school of theology operated by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph; directly comparable as the other U.S. Dominican Center for Institutional Studies forming friars in the Order's Ratio Studiorum Particularis alongside lay students.
• Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum): Rome-based pontifical university of the Dominican Order offering graduate degrees in theology and related disciplines; comparable because Aquinas's VP/Academic Dean previously served as President of its Board of Directors and it operates as the global Dominican flagship for theological study.
• Mount St. Mary's Seminary: Emmitsburg, Maryland seminary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore offering an MDiv program and priestly formation; comparable as a residential Catholic theological school accredited by ATS with a similar small-faculty formation model.
• University of St. Mary of the Lake (Mundelein Seminary): Chicago-area diocesan seminary and graduate school of theology offering MDiv, MA, and DMin programs with priestly formation; directly comparable as a Midwestern Catholic graduate theology school accredited by ATS.
• Saint Meinrad School of Theology: Benedictine-sponsored graduate school of theology in southern Indiana offering MDiv and MA programs with monastic formation; comparable as a small ATS-accredited Catholic graduate theology school with a parallel religious-order sponsorship structure.
• Boston College School of Theology and Ministry: Boston College's graduate school offering MDiv, MA, and DMin programs rooted in Jesuit tradition; comparable in ATS accreditation and graduate Catholic theology offerings, with a broader university ecosystem analogous to Aquinas's SLU partnership.
• Regis University - College of Theology: Jesuit graduate theology program in Denver offering MA and MDiv degrees with flexible online/hybrid delivery; comparable as a smaller Jesuit graduate theology school whose online modality competes with Aquinas's hybrid MAPT and DMin offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Marquette University College of Theology: Jesuit, R1 Catholic university in Milwaukee with graduate theology programs and broad academic portfolio; comparable as an ATS-accredited Catholic graduate theology provider but with substantially larger scale and a broader, non-theology-focused portfolio.
• Catholic University of America - School of Theology and Religious Studies: National Catholic university's graduate theology school offering STL, STD, MA, and PhD programs; comparable as a leading ATS-accredited Catholic graduate theology provider but with doctoral research university scale and broader program breadth.

Others

• Ascension Health (theology/mission training partners): One of the largest U.S. Catholic health systems, led for decades by Aquinas Board Chair Dan O'Brien; comparable not as a competitor but as a major employer of AOR Center graduates and a co-investor in the Catholic health care mission leadership ecosystem Aquinas targets.

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/15633246445
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquinas-institute-of-theology
• Instagraminstagram.com/aquinas_institute/?hl=en
• Xx.com/aitheology

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis