Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

What Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary does

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS), founded in 1908 in Waco, Texas, and relocated to Fort Worth in 1910, is a private, nonprofit graduate theological institution operating under the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). It is one of six SBC seminaries, governed by trustees elected through the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The institution operates five schools — the School of Theology, the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries, the School of Church Music and Worship, the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, and the undergraduate Texas Baptist College — plus the Land Center for Cultural Engagement and the World Missions Center. It delivers accredited graduate and undergraduate programs (associate, baccalaureate, master's, doctoral) in theology, education, music, evangelism, and missions, via on-campus, online, hybrid, and 8-week accelerated formats, with programming in English, Spanish, Korean, and Mandarin. SACSCOC, ATS, and NASM accreditations and SARA participation enable federal financial aid eligibility and interstate enrollment.

The core product is theological education for ministry preparation: the Master of Divinity (revised to 82 credit hours at $354/credit with an SBC discount and 20 concentrations) anchors the portfolio, supported by MA, ThM, PhD, EdD, DMin/DEdMin, and DMA degrees, plus an MDiv/MBA joint degree with Dallas Baptist University and an Intensive English Program partnership. Technology infrastructure is commodity higher-ed IT (Canvas LMS, SharePoint-based student and employee hubs, online registration) with no proprietary platform; Equip The Called operates as a free content-marketing hub. A 55-room Riley Center hotel on campus supports recruitment and ancillary revenue.

The revenue model is a hybrid tuition-and-donation structure: per-credit-hour tuition across graduate and undergraduate programs, with over 98% of qualified applicants receiving financial aid; recurring charitable giving through the Office of Institutional Advancement (checks, wires, securities, donor-advised funds, planned giving); and smaller streams from on-campus hospitality and housing. The go-to-market motion is event-driven (Preview Days twice yearly, campus tours, alumni referrals) and direct-to-consumer via the join.swbts.edu application portal, with pastoral church endorsement as a required admissions input — a distinctive gating mechanism that ties recruitment to the SBC church ecosystem and limits addressable market but deepens candidate quality.

Name

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Legal name

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Website

https://swbts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, SBC-affiliated graduate theological institution in Fort Worth, Texas, founded in 1908, that trains pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, and educators through five accredited schools offering MDiv, MA, ThM, and doctoral degrees on campus and online.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bible Colleges (Undergraduate Ministry & Biblical Studies) (EDAHAKAB), Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Theological education
• Seminary degrees
• Ministry training
• Pastoral preparation
• Graduate theology

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Graduate and undergraduate tuition charged per credit hour. Southern Baptist students receive a student discount. Financial aid, scholarships, and counseling are available, with over 98% of qualified applicants receiving financial aid.
2. Institutional Advancement / Charitable Giving: Office of Institutional Advancement accepts donations via check, credit card, wire transfer, securities, donor-advised funds, and planned giving vehicles (wills, charitable gift annuities, deferred gift annuities). Primary giving address in Fort Worth, TX.
3. Campus Hospitality and Housing: Riley Center on campus operates a 55-room hotel offering complimentary access to Recreation and Aerobics Center (RAC) for alumni staying at the hotel, with 20% discount for alumni. Contributes to campus revenue and student services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a private theological institution offering graduate and undergraduate theological education across five academic schools. Its core offering is the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree, supplemented by master's degrees (MACE, MA programs), advanced master's (ThM), doctoral degrees (PhD, EdD, DMin/DEdMin, DMA), certificates, undergraduate degrees through Texas Baptist College, and continuing education delivered on-campus in Fort Worth, TX, online, and through hybrid formats.

Product overview

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary offers a comprehensive theological education portfolio centered around its Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree as the core offering, supplemented by Master of Arts programs (MACE, MA in Biblical Counseling, MA in Worship Leadership, Master of Theological Studies), Master of Theology (ThM) for advanced study, and doctoral programs (PhD, EdD, DMin/DEdMin, DMA). The seminary operates through five academic schools (School of Theology, Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries, School of Church Music and Worship, Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, and Texas Baptist College for undergraduate education) plus specialized centers (Land Center for Cultural Engagement and World Missions Center). Supporting platforms include Equip The Called for ministry resources and an Online Learning Platform offering 8-week accelerated and flexible semester courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)
• Master of Arts in Christian Education (MACE)
• Master of Theology (ThM)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Education (EdD)
• Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and Doctor of Educational Ministry (DEdMin)
• Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music (DMA)
• MDiv/MBA Joint Degree
• Texas Baptist College (Undergraduate)
• Certificate Programs
• Online Learning Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 98% of qualified applicants receive financial aid
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Three Other SBC Seminaries (Asia-Pacific Initiative)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary students and staff partnered with students and faculty from three other Southern Baptist Convention seminaries to take the Gospel to the Asia-Pacific region. This is an ongoing collaborative missions and evangelism initiative.
• Dallas Baptist University (Intensive English Program)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Southwestern Seminary and DBU announced partnership to support international students through an Intensive English Program (IEP), helping international students meet language proficiency requirements for admission.
• Dallas Baptist University (DBU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthwestern Seminary and Dallas Baptist University offer a joint Master of Divinity/Master of Business Administration degree. Students can earn the MDiv from Southwestern and the MBA from DBU, with certain coursework at each institution satisfying requirements at the partner institution. Additionally, DBU and SWBTS announced a partnership in June 2026 to support international students through an Intensive English Program.
• International Mission Board (IMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumna Elisabeth Coleman serves as an IMB missionary in London, representing SWBTS alumni engaged in global missions through the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. The seminary's Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions works closely with IMB for mission training and deployment.
• State Baptist Associations (Alumni)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouthwestern Seminary connects alumni with their respective state Baptist associations for networking, continuing education, and ministry support. Alumni Engagement team facilitates connections with state associations upon request.
• Church Ministry RelationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides alumni with access to an online job board specifically for SBC churches and entities, supporting alumni in finding positions and churches in filling ministry roles. Career services through Church Ministry Relations office.
• American Theological Library Association (ATLA)coreOthersSWBTS libraries provide alumni with career access to the ATLA database through Roberts Library. Alumni access to ATLA database is a key alumni benefit offered through the seminary's library system.
• Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)flagshipOthersSouthwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is one of six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. Control of the seminary passed to the SBC in 1925. Seminary trustees are elected by the SBC. Seminary provides theological education for SBC churches and serves as an institution of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fuller Theological Seminary: Major multi-denominational evangelical seminary in Pasadena, CA with extensive online programs (Fuller Online). Larger, more established evangelical seminary offering comparable graduate degrees and competing for the same student demographics.
• Liberty University: Large Christian university in Lynchburg, VA with a John W. Rawlings School of Divinity offering online MDiv, ThM, and DMin programs. Broader evangelical player with significant online enrollment that competes for the same ministry-bound students.

Direct peers

• Dallas Baptist University: DBU is Southwestern Seminary's MDiv/MBA joint-degree partner and DFW-metro Baptist institution. Directly comparable in target audience (Baptist students), Dallas-Fort Worth location, and overlapping undergraduate and graduate offerings.
• Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary: SBC seminary in Wake Forest, NC, with comparable graduate schools including theology, education, music, and missions. Direct peer competing for similar SBC-bound ministerial students.
• New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: One of six SBC seminaries, offering comparable graduate theological degrees (MDiv, PhD, DMin) with similar denominational focus on SBC church leadership. Direct peer in mission, structure, and student pipeline.
• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: Fellow Southern Baptist Convention seminary located in Louisville, KY. The flagship SBC seminary with overlapping graduate degree offerings (MDiv, ThM, PhD, DMin) in theology, missions, and ministry. Directly comparable in denominational mission, accreditation, and target student base.
• Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary: SBC seminary located in Kansas City, MO, offering MDiv, MA, ThM, and doctoral programs with similar Great Commission focus. Direct peer serving the same SBC student pipeline.
• Gateway Seminary: SBC seminary (formerly Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary) with California and Pacific Northwest campuses. Offers comparable SBC-aligned theological degrees and serves the same denominational target market.
• Dallas Theological Seminary: Non-SBC evangelical seminary headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Offers similar graduate theological degrees (ThM, MDiv, DMin) and competes for evangelical students in the same regional and online markets.

Others

• The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Alumni Foundation: Internal alumni relations and development arm of Southwestern Seminary. Listed for ecosystem completeness; functions as the institution's donor pipeline and graduate network support structure rather than an external competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/swbts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCExample
• Facebookfacebook.com/80224970888
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwestern-baptist-theological-seminary

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary