New Brunswick Theological Seminary

What New Brunswick Theological Seminary does

New Brunswick Theological Seminary (NBTS) is a private, non-profit theological institution founded in 1784 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and is the oldest seminary in the United States. Affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, NBTS delivers graduate-level theological education through its core degree programs—Master of Divinity (M.Div.), three Master of Arts concentrations (Ministry Studies, Theological Studies, Pastoral Care and Counseling), and the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) with multiple specializations—and supports these with certificate, microcredential, and alternative-pathway (STAR) programs. Instruction is delivered on the New Brunswick campus and via hybrid/online formats on the Brightspace learning management system, with international summer study programs in the Netherlands and Poland operated in partnership with the Protestantse Theologische Universiteit (PThU) and the International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI).

The institution's core technology consists of the Brightspace LMS, the Gardner A. Sage Library OPAC (a 63,000+ volume theological collection founded in 1875, with broader holdings of 130,000+ items, including Dutch Reformed materials and rare books under dual Pettee and Library of Congress classification systems), digital research databases, and the Theological Writing Center. Support infrastructure includes the Reformed Church Center, the Underwood Center for Global Education, and a Financial Wellness Program.

NBTS operates a multi-stream revenue model combining recurring tuition and academic fees across M.Div., M.A., and D.Min. programs, philanthropic donations via annual fund and capital campaigns (including a $200,000 matching gift campaign), foundation grants (most notably a $10M Lilly Endowment Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant awarded December 2025), and unit-priced fees for international study programs ($1,250-$4,500 per participant). Sales-led GTM is driven through denominational affiliations with the RCA, alumni referrals, church partnerships, and community outreach; customers are distributed across multiple theological student, pastor, and RCA-member segments with no single dominant concentration. NBTS additionally leads the ten-institution AdminWise Shared Services consortium, providing administrative shared services to partner seminaries in recruitment, HR, advancement, marketing, IT, and healthcare.

Name

New Brunswick Theological Seminary

Legal name

New Brunswick Theological Seminary

Website

https://nbts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1784

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a 240-year-old Reformed Church-affiliated seminary in New Brunswick, NJ delivering graduate theological degrees (MDiv, MA, DMin), certificates, microcredentials, and international study programs to church leaders, pastors, and theological students, supported by tuition, philanthropy, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theological Education and Seminary Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611), Religious Organizations (8131), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAKAA

Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry)

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

Keywords

• Theological education
• Graduate seminary programs
• Ministry training
• Divinity degrees
• Pastoral counseling

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Degree program tuition for M.Div., M.A., and D.Min. programs, along with certificate program fees. Revenue generated from student enrollment across multiple degree pathways and dual-degree options.
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Voluntary contributions from donors, trustees, alumni, and supporters. Includes matching gift campaigns, capital campaigns, donor brick campaigns, and annual fund donations. $100,000 matching gift campaign currently active.
3. Foundation Grants: Major grant funding from foundations supporting theological education initiatives. Includes $10 million Lilly Endowment Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative grant awarded December 2025, supporting AdminWise Shared Services collaboration.
4. International Program Fees: Fees for international summer study programs including travel seminars to the Netherlands and Poland. Amsterdam program costs $3,350 (students) to $3,500 (non-students); Poland program $1,250 per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

New Brunswick Theological Seminary is the oldest seminary in the United States, founded in 1784 and affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. It delivers accredited graduate theological education through Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Ministry degree programs, along with certificate programs and microcredentials, supported by the Gardner A. Sage Library, online/hybrid course delivery, and international study experiences.

Product overview

New Brunswick Theological Seminary offers a comprehensive portfolio of theological education programs centered on its core graduate degrees (MDiv, MA programs, Doctor of Ministry) with supporting library, research, and student services. The institution provides traditional degree pathways alongside innovative offerings including the STAR alternative routes program, microcredentials, certificate programs, and international study opportunities. Key support services include the Gardner A. Sage Library (150+ years old), Reformed Church Center, Underwood Center for Global Education, and Theological Writing Center. The seminary operates a Brightspace-based Student Hub learning platform and offers financial wellness support through Lilly Endowment partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gardner A. Sage Library: The seminary's theological library, dedicated in 1875, serving as a major research collection supporting the seminary's academic programs.
• STAR (Seminary Through Alternate Routes)
• Reformed Church Center
• Underwood Center for Global Education

Products and services

• Master of Divinity (MDiv)
• Master of Arts in Ministry Studies
• Master of Arts in Theological Studies
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling
• Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
• Dual Degree: MDiv & MAPCC
• Dual Degree: MDiv & MATS
• Certificate Program
• Microcredential Program
• International Summer Study Program
• STAR Program (Seminary Through Alternate Routes)

Quantifiable outcome

• AdminWise Shared Services supporting 10+ seminaries with operational efficiency improvements
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 December 2025Credit-sharing agreement between NBTS and Blanton-Peale Institute's Graduate Institute of Psychoanalytic Training. Allows NBTS to recognize up to 12 credits from Blanton-Peale graduates toward NBTS Doctor of Ministry (Pastoral Care and Counseling concentration). Creates pathway for students to combine doctoral-level study with psychoanalytic training. Effective January 2026.
• AdminWise Shared Services Partner SeminariescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with nine seminaries: Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, The Aquinas Institute, Bethany Theological Seminary, Eden Theological Seminary, Gammon Theological Seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Nazarene Theological Seminary, Turner Theological Seminary, and Western Theological Seminary. Shared services include recruitment, HR, advancement, marketing, IT, healthcare, and other core administrative functions.
• Protestantse Theologische Universiteit (PThU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch theological university partnership for International Summer School of Theology in Amsterdam. NBTS prepares program in cooperation with PThU and International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI). Faculty exchange and joint educational programming.
• International Reformed Theological Institute (IRTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for biennial International Summer School of Theology program. Collaboration expanding beyond Dutch-American partnership to global Reformed theological education.
• Reformed Church in AmericaflagshipOthersPrimary denominational affiliation. Seminary affiliated with RCA since founding in 1784. Reformed Church Center provides resources, fellowships (Albert A. Smith, Alvin J. Poppen/John R. Young, Hazel B. Gnade), and RCA history scholarship for church members and scholars.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bethany Theological Seminary: Church of the Brethren-affiliated seminary in Indiana offering M.Div. and MA in Theological Studies. Comparable small-scale theological graduate institution and fellow AdminWise Shared Services consortium member.
• Union Theological Seminary: Historic ecumenical Protestant seminary in New York City offering MDiv, M.A., and doctoral programs. Comparable in mission, curriculum, and Reformed/mainline theological tradition.
• Western Theological Seminary: Reformed Church in America-affiliated seminary in Holland, MI. Direct peer sharing the same denominational affiliation, similar RCA-aligned curriculum, and a fellow AdminWise Shared Services collaborator with NBTS.
• Gammon Theological Seminary: Historically Black United Methodist seminary in Atlanta. Comparable M.Div. and graduate theological programs, similar institution size and funding model, and fellow AdminWise Shared Services consortium member.
• McCormick Theological Seminary: PCUSA-affiliated mainline seminary in Chicago with similar MDiv and DMin programs, Reformed/progressive tradition, and comparable urban justice focus areas like NBTS's Prophetic Urban Ministry DMin concentration.
• Princeton Theological Seminary: Largest and most prominent mainline/evangelical seminary in the U.S. offering MDiv, MA, ThM, and PhD programs. Direct competitor for prospective theological students with similar academic rigor and library scale as NBTS.
• Eden Theological Seminary: UCC-affiliated mainline seminary in St. Louis offering MDiv and MA programs. Comparable institution type, scale, and partner in the AdminWise Shared Services consortium.
• Yale Divinity School: University-affiliated Divinity School offering MDiv, MAR, and STM programs. Comparable graduate theological offerings with focus on biblical studies, ethics, and pastoral care similar to NBTS's portfolio.
• Methodist Theological School in Ohio: United Methodist-affiliated seminary offering MDiv and MA programs. Comparable institution type, scale, and partner in the AdminWise Shared Services consortium.

Broad incumbents

• Fuller Theological Seminary: Largest multi-denominational evangelical seminary with extensive online MDiv and DMin programs. A much larger competitor with broader denomination reach and significant online scale that indirectly competes with NBTS's hybrid offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nbts1784
• Facebookfacebook.com/159849820742716
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-brunswick-theological-seminary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 New Brunswick Theological Seminary