Infographic by Ms Jones NYC

There are any number of discussions happening about the cost of theological education, including how it can be an impediment to student enrollment and a hindrance to students who carry long-term debt. The tuition dollars, however, also carry a weight to the school, as most schools rely heavily on tuition to balance the budget.

The chart above shows the numbers that are reported to the Association for Theological Schools by institutions and then averaged. They show increases in the cost to students in many categories, but those numbers are not adjusted for inflation. That’s important because the amount of increases in some cases would not appear to keep up with the rate of inflation. That would leave schools looking for other ways to close the gap, including through cost savings, cuts, and the use of endowments and scholarships.

As we look at these numbers, we consider the tension of rising costs – both in how that affects students and how it affects institutions. We would love to hear your thoughts on this issue of tuition costs and how you deal with the tension between balancing the budget and keeping student costs down. Would you let us know your thoughts? Send an email to editors@intrust.org. Thanks in advance!

Source: ATS annual data tables