15 Presbyterian & Reformed Colleges & Seminaries Worth Considering

Presbyterian and Reformed colleges, universities, and seminaries equip their students to fulfill what many Reformed Christians confess is their primary goal, which is “to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”¹ Within college and university contexts, this may mean preparing students for a broad variety of academic and professional pursuits in the humanities and the sciences. Seminaries offer biblical and theological education that prepares men and women for vocational ministry, with a particular focus on the ministry of Word and sacrament. Both types of institutions have a high view of the Bible and Reformed theology and seek to submit all of faith and life to God’s revealed will.

What makes a college, university, or seminary Reformed or Presbyterian?

Put simply, the common denominator between Reformed and Presbyterian colleges, universities, or seminaries is a commitment to Reformed theology.

But what is Reformed theology? Ligon Duncan describes it this way:

Reformed theology, representing the public, ecclesial, doctrinal convictions of a major branch of Protestantism, is a school of historic, orthodox, confessional Christianity that maintains and emphasizes the sovereignty of the triune God, the authority of Scripture, God’s grace in salvation, the necessity and significance of the church, and covenant theology.²

For the purposes of this article, I highlight several aspects of Reformed theology:³

1. Historic

Reformed theology finds its roots in historic orthodox Christianity and finds fuller expression in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, most famously in the theology of John Calvin.

2. Confessional

Reformed believers confess the faith that has been received and adopted by the church as it is documented in the Reformed confessions. The colleges, universities, and seminaries listed here have adopted the Three Forms of Unity (The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort) and/or the Westminster Standards (The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms) as their doctrinal standard.

3. Ecclesial

Reformed theology emphasizes the importance of the church. It highlights the church as the people of God, the instrument through which the Great Commission is fulfilled, outside of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. As Reformed institutions, the schools below have close (if not official) affiliations with various Reformed and Presbyterian denominations.

Reformed and Presbyterian are sometimes used interchangeably. Reformed and Presbyterian churches share a common theology and practice some version of Presbyterian polity. However, the terms can also serve to differentiate between the Continental (primarily Dutch) Reformed and Scottish Reformed (or Presbyterian) stream. The Continental Reformed stream finds contemporary expression in the United Reformed Churches in North America. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Presbyterian Church in America represent the Scottish Reformed stream.

Notable Reformed and Presbyterian colleges and universities

The following list includes colleges, universities, and seminaries that identify as Reformed or Presbyterian. The list is refined using several criteria:

• This list includes institutions that continue to identify themselves as Reformed and/or have active affiliations with Reformed churches. There are other colleges, universities, and seminaries that have historically identified as Reformed but no longer do so, but these are not included here.
• The colleges on this list represent evangelical expressions of Reformed theology. Mainline institutions are not included.
• As mentioned above, each of the colleges and universities use either the Three Forms of Unity or The Westminster Standards as their confessional standard or are affiliated with churches who use them as such.
• The colleges listed here are found in the United States.
• The colleges, universities, and seminaries listed here possess accreditation that is recognized by the United States Department of Education.

1. Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI

• Denomination: Christian Reformed Church
• Confessional standard: Three Forms of Unity
• Undergraduate tuition: $42,120/year
• Graduate tuition: $640–995/credit hour
• Enrollment: 3,681⁴
• Programs: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s
• Online programs: microcredentials, certificates, and master’s degrees
• Athletics: NCAA Division III
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Several programs also possess specialized accreditations.
• Founded: 1876

Calvin University began as The Theological School, established to train ministers for the Christian Reformed Church. The school was renamed John Calvin Junior College in 1906 and began offering four-year degrees in 1920. Renamed Calvin University in 2019, the school offers over a hundred academic programs in the humanities, arts, and sciences.

2. Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA

• Denomination: Presbyterian Church in America
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Undergraduate tuition: $34,435/year
• Graduate tuition: $500/credit hour
• Enrollment: 1,100
• Programs: bachelor’s, master’s
• Online programs: N/A
• Athletics: NCAA Division III
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Founded: 1955

Originally located in Pasadena, California, the college later shared a campus with Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis before moving to its current location atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia, in 1964. With over twenty undergraduate majors in various disciplines and a master of arts in teaching program, the college seeks to “offer the world biblically grounded men and women equipped to live out extraordinary callings in ordinary places.”

3. Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA

• Denomination: Christian Reformed Church
• Confessional standard: Three Forms of Unity
• Undergraduate tuition: $38,200/year
• Graduate tuition: $405–710/credit hour
• Enrollment: 1,952
• Programs: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s
• Online Programs: One undergraduate and seven graduate programs
• Athletics: NAIA
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Several programs also possess specialized accreditations.
• Founded: 1955

Dordt originated as Midwest Christian Junior College to train Christian school teachers. When it began offering four-year degree programs, the institution changed its name to Dordt College in honor of the 1618–1619 synod that produced the Canons of Dort. Dordt University now offers degree programs including agriculture, nursing, engineering, business, social work, criminal justice, construction management, international business, and more.

4. Erskine College, Due West, SC

• Denomination: Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Undergraduate tuition: $44,050/year
• Graduate tuition: $550/credit hour
• Enrollment: 803 (undergraduate)
• Programs: bachelor’s, master’s
• Online programs: Some online courses are available, but no fully online programs.
• Athletics: NCAA Division II
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Founded: 1839

Erskine College formed out of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church’s academy for men. Three institutions, including Erskine College, the Woman’s College of Due West, and Erskine Seminary, merged in 1927, resulting in a single institution known as Erskine College, with the seminary serving as its graduate school of theology. The college offers over twenty undergraduate majors in a variety of fields, in addition to a master of arts in Christian counseling.

5. Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA

• Denomination: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Undergraduate tuition: $34,130/year
• Graduate tuition: $699/credit hour
• Enrollment: 1,366
• Programs: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s
• Online programs: Five bachelor of professional studies (BPS) degrees available online
• Athletics: NCAA Division III
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Several programs also possess specialized accreditations.
• Founded: 1848

Geneva Hall was founded in Northwood, Ohio, and named after one of the epicenters of the Reformed faith: Geneva, Switzerland. It moved to its present location north of Pittsburgh in 1880, where it became the site of the first recorded intercollegiate basketball game in 1893. The school now offers over a hundred undergraduate majors, online adult degree programs, and graduate degrees.

Notable Reformed and Presbyterian seminaries

6. Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI

• Denomination: Christian Reformed Church
• Confessional standard: The Three Forms of Unity
• Accreditation: Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 379
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in Bible and theology; MA in Christian leadership; MA in clinical mental health counseling; master of theological studies; master of theology; doctor of ministry
• Online programs: Yes
• Tuition: $595/credit for MDiv/MA/MTS; $889 for ThM
• Founded: 1876

Calvin Theological Seminary began as The Theological School for the training of ministers in the Christian Reformed Church. Calvin College (later Calvin University) became a distinct institution governed by a separate board in 1991.

7. Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO

• Denomination: Presbyterian Church in America
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Association of Theological Schools (ATS); MA in counseling accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Enrollment: 550
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in counseling; MA in biblical and theological studies; MA in ministry; MA in theological studies; master of theology; doctor of ministry
• Online programs: Yes
• Founded: 1956

Covenant Theological Seminary began as the ministerial training institution of the Bible Presbyterian Church in 1956 and originally shared its campus with Covenant College. Through a series of denominational mergers, the seminary came to be affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America in 1982.

8. Erskine Theological Seminary, Due West, SC

• Denomination: Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 118
• Degree programs: master of divinity; master of practical ministry; MA in theological studies; master of theology; doctor of ministry
• Online programs: Yes
• Tuition: $550/credit master’s-level; $600/credit ThM and DMin
• Founded: 1837

Erskine Theological Seminary was established by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1837 for the preparation of ARP ministers. It merged with Erskine College and the Woman’s College of Due West in 1927, and serves as the college’s graduate theological school.

9. Knox Theological Seminary, Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Denomination: not denominationally affiliated
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: The Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 141
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in Christian and Classical studies; MA in biblical and theological studies; doctor of ministry
• Online programs: Yes
• Tuition: $670/credit for master’s-level; $755/credit for DMin
• Founded: 1989

Knox Theological Seminary, named after Scottish Reformer John Knox, was founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy under the oversight of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America.

10. Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Dyer, IN

• Denomination: not denominationally affiliated
• Confessional standard: The Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: The Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 32
• Degree programs: master of divinity; master of theological studies
• Online programs: N/A
• Tuition: $290/credit
• Founded: 1981

Organized at an O’Hare Airport hotel in 1981, Mid-America Reformed Seminary operated in Orange City, Iowa, until 1995, when it moved to its campus in Dyer, Indiana, a suburb of Chicago. Because of its commitment to personal formation, the seminary intentionally limits enrollment.

11. Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI

• Denomination: Heritage Reformed Congregations
• Confessional standard: The Three Forms of Unity and the Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: The Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 501
• Degree programs: master of divinity; master of arts in biblical counseling; master of arts in religion; master of theology; doctor of ministry; doctor of philosophy
• Online programs: Yes
• Tuition: $275/credit for master’s-level, including ThM; $325/credit for DMin
• Founded: 1995

PRTS began under the leadership of Joel Beeke in 1995 when the seminary admitted four students from the Heritage Reformed Congregations. Its first class graduated in 1998, and the seminary moved to its present location in 2004.

12. Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA

• Denomination: Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards and the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
• Accreditation: Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 91
• Degree programs: master of divinity; master of theological studies; doctor of ministry
• Online programs: some courses available.
• Tuition: $16,830/year (15 hours per quarter)
• Founded: 1810

The oldest of the seminaries on this list, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary initially moved to wherever its professor served as a pastor: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Coldenham, New York; Northwood and Cincinnati, Ohio, and finally, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The seminary moved to its present location in 1923.

13. Reformed Theological Seminary

• Locations: Jackson, MS; Orlando, FL; Charlotte, NC; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; New York City, NY; Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Denomination: not denominationally affiliated
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); the Association of Theological Schools (ATS); MA in counseling accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• Enrollment: 1,022
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in biblical studies; MA in theological studies; MA in religion; MA in counseling; MA in Christian counseling; master of theology; doctor of ministry⁵
• Online programs: yes
• Tuition: $654/credit for master’s-level; $695/credit for ThM and DMin
• Founded: 1966

In response to concern over theological liberalism in the southern Presbyterian church and its theological institutions, Reformed Theological Seminary was established in Jackson, Mississippi, to prepare ministers committed to the inerrancy of Scripture and Reformed theology as articulated in The Westminster Standards. The seminary became a multi-campus institution in 1989 with the formation of a second campus in Orlando. It has since expanded to include multiple campuses and online programs.

14. Westminster Seminary California, Escondido, CA

• Denomination: not denominationally affiliated
• Confessional standard: The Three Forms of Unity and The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 108
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in biblical studies; MA in theological studies; MA in historical theology
• Online programs: N/A
• Tuition: $570/credit
• Founded: 1980

Founded in 1980 as a branch campus of Westminster Theological Seminary to serve students in the Western United States, the seminary became fully independent in 1982.

15. Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA

• Denomination: not denominationally affiliated
• Confessional standard: The Westminster Standards
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS)
• Enrollment: 1,183
• Degree programs: master of divinity; MA in religion; MA in theological studies; MA in counseling; master of theology; doctor of ministry; doctor of philosophy
• Online programs: yes
• Tuition: $53,000/year for residential MDiv and MAR programs; $675/credit for online and part-time residential students; $3,650/course for DMin; $4,350/course for ThM; $5000/course for PhD
• Founded: 1929

Westminster Theological Seminary was founded in 1929 when a group of professors exited Princeton Seminary over concerns of theological liberalism. J. Gresham Machen, John Murray, Cornelius Van Til, and others sought to preserve historic Reformed theology, continuing ministerial preparation in the spirit of Old Princeton.

What to look for in a Reformed or Presbyterian school

You should consider the following when considering which Reformed or Presbyterian school would best equip you for your calling:

1. Degree programs

For colleges and universities, does the school offer your desired program of study? How many courses are available to choose from within your desired major? Some colleges and universities offer greater selection and specialization than others within a field of study.

For seminaries, what is the makeup and curriculum of the program? For example, not all MDiv degrees are equal: some meet the ATS-required minimum of 72 credits, while many Reformed MDiv degrees offer 100+ credits. Does it include a solid combination of biblical studies (including Greek and Hebrew), systematic theology, and pastoral theology (preaching, evangelism, missions, counseling, etc.)?

2. Theological commitments

All of these colleges, universities, and seminaries fall into the evangelical sphere of the Reformed and Presbyterian world, but that does not mean that their theological approach is identical. Consider which best fits your theological commitments and—especially if preparing for pastoral ministry—denominational requirements.

3. Faculty

Consider who teaches at the institution. How many faculty members teach in the program in which you’re interested? Do their areas of interest and expertise align with yours, and have they demonstrated scholarship in those areas? If you plan to take online classes, are they taught by the school’s regular faculty or by someone else?

4. Enrollment

Inquire how many students are enrolled in your desired program and modality. The numbers cited above are accurate, but they include students in all programs, whether they are enrolled online or residentially.

5. Alumni

Who are some of the school’s alumni? Do they represent the kind of person you want to be shaped into?

6. Cost and financial aid

The list above demonstrates that schools assess different levels of tuition. Weigh affordability, but take into account the financial assistance available: a school with a higher published tuition rate may actually be more affordable after scholarships and grants are applied.

7. Accreditation

Accreditation makes good schools better by ensuring they hold themselves to a high standard within the commitments of their mission.

All the schools above hold institutional accreditation that is recognized by the US Department of Education. If you are going into a professional field like counseling or engineering, you’ll also want to ensure that the degree holds appropriate programmatic accreditation (e.g., CACREP for licensed mental health counseling, ABET for engineering). Appropriate accreditation provides assurance that your degree will be recognized as meeting educational requirements for licensure or for admission into higher-level academic programs.

8. Local churches

When considering any college, university, or seminary, you should give significant consideration to churches in the area. Is there a congregation that will minister faithfully to you, and where you can commit yourself to worship and service?

Conclusion

Reformed and Presbyterian schools prepare students for a variety of callings in service to Christ and his church, approaching education from a Reformed theological perspective that is grounded in Scripture. You don’t necessarily have to be a member of a Reformed church to attend a Reformed or Presbyterian school: If you want to engage in a deep study of Scripture, desire a stronger grasp of theology, and seek to be equipped to serve the triune God in all of life, then you can benefit from enrolling.

Share your thoughts

What are the top Presbyterian or Reformed schools? Join us in the Word by Word group to share your thoughts.

David Veldkamp’s suggested books on Reformed theology and education

• Brock, Frank. An Educated Choice: Advice for Parents of College-Bound Students. Baker, 2002.
• Lucas, Sean Michael. On Being Presbyterian. P&R, 2006.
• VanDixhoorn, Chad. Confessing the Faith: A Reader’s Guide to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Banner of Truth, 2014.

Related content

• What Is Reformed Theology? Its Roots, Core Beliefs & Key Leaders
• What Is Presbyterianism? Its History, Theology & Practices
• What Is Calvinism—and What Is It Not? A Simple Explanation
• 25 Reformed Theology Books Everyone Should Know
• What Are the Main Presbyterian & Reformed Denominations?

1. Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q&A 1.
2. Ligon Duncan, “Foreword,” in Covenant Theology: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Perspectives, ed. Guy Waters et al. (Crossway), 23.
3. For a fuller overview and explanation, see Daniel R. Hyde’s “What Is Reformed Theology? Its Roots, Core Beliefs & Key Leaders,” Word by Word, Logos (blog), October 23, 2023.
4. College and university enrollment based on the most recently available IPEDS numbers at the time of this article’s publication. Seminary enrollment based on Association of Theological Schools data.
5. Program availability varies by location.