Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Kansas City, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 96.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 40/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Kansas City-based Southern Baptist seminary, is catalogued as a four-year institution in the Scorecard system and scores 40 out of 100 in the CampusROI framework, placing it in Poor Value tier. The underlying numbers reflect the mismatch between a seminary's vocational mission and a generalist labor-market metric. Tuition is $10,120, but net price is $23,006 (note the net-exceeds-tuition pattern, which signals that fees, books, and living costs dominate the cost stack and aid is modest). Four-year total cost is $92,024. There is no reported 6-year earnings figure; 10-year earnings come in at $50,535, which is solid for the credentialed-ministry pathway the school feeds. Median debt is moderate at $15,675, and payback period is 14.9 years. Completion rate is 48.3%, which is low and is the main score drag. Debt-to-earnings and repayment-rate subscores are imputed because the underlying data is sparse. The 96.4% admit rate confirms an open-access seminary posture, and the institution's value is best measured against ministry-track peers rather than the general college dataset.
The data raises concerns about Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score40/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,120/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $10,120/yr |
| Average net price | $23,006/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $92,024 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,535 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,675 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $166 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 747 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $10,120/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,006/year, or roughly $92,024 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $19,818/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,870/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $15,675 in federal loans, which works out to about $166 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $50,535 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to N/A, which we can't fully judge without more data.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,818 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,659 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,701 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,461 |
| $110,001+ | $26,870 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,818 net, the lowest bracket. Over four years that is roughly $79,272, which is steep for households with no parental contribution capacity. Pell coverage helps, but the seminary's aid budget is modest, and church-based scholarships are often part of the package for committed ministry candidates.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $22,701, and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $26,461. The aid curve is relatively flat, with smaller-than-typical discounts for need. Middle-income families effectively pay close to full price, and the math works mainly when church or denominational support supplements the family contribution.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $26,870 net, only $136 more than the $75-$110K bracket and well below the $10,120 stated tuition would suggest, because fees and living costs dominate. The pricing reflects a seminary model that is closer to flat-fee with limited high-income premium pricing.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $44,420 | C+ |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | $39,368 | A |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies is Midwestern's main undergraduate program with 37 graduates. Earnings are $42,567 at year one and $44,420 at year four, with a 0.549 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a C+ grade against $23,385 of debt. The flat earnings curve is consistent with ministry roles where pastoral pay scales modestly with experience. For students entering church-funded or denominationally supported ministry, the math is workable; the credential opens vocational doors that the general labor market does not signal.
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology
Missions is the standout ROI program with 17 graduates: $39,368 in 1-year earnings, only $7,733 of median debt, and a 0.196 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an A grade. This is one of the cleanest small-major value cases in the dataset, primarily because mission-sending agencies often cover educational costs and graduates enter funded missionary deployment. Note that 4-year earnings are not reported, likely because many graduates work abroad and their earnings drop out of the federal data system.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.3% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 57.6% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.4% |
| Enrollment | 747 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,596 |
Midwestern admits 96.4% of applicants, an essentially open-access posture aligned with the school's ministry-formation mission. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported because the seminary does not require standardized testing. The 48.3% completion rate is moderate and is consistent with a seminary population that often combines coursework with part-time ministry placements, which extends time-to-degree and depresses the federal completion metric.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Midwestern's peer set includes Mission University, another small Christian institution with a similar ministry-formation mission, and Southern Wesleyan University, which is a faith-affiliated comprehensive school. Avila University in Kansas City is a Catholic comprehensive with a much broader major mix. Peirce College and Parker University are outliers in the peer set. Within the directly comparable seminary and Christian-formation tier, Midwestern's $50,535 10-year earnings figure is competitive, and its lower median debt ($15,675) is a structural advantage.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (this school) | 40 | $23,006 | $50,535 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Southern Wesleyan University | 36 | $15,464 | $47,756 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
Who Thrives Here
Midwestern fits Southern Baptist and broader evangelical students called to pastoral ministry, missions work, biblical scholarship, or denominational service. With 747 students and a 30.1% Pell rate, the population is mission-oriented and modestly resourced. Strong fits are students with a clear ministerial vocation, denominational sponsorship, or church-employer backing for tuition. Weak fits are students seeking a general liberal arts experience or a high-earning career trajectory; the seminary is built around a specific calling.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary are a real concern. With a net cost of $23,006 per year and the typical graduate earning only $50,535 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 14.9 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 48.3% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Median debt of $15,675 against $50,535 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.