Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church,[7] is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), it is the second-oldest seminary in the United States.[8][9] It is also the largest of ten seminaries associated with the Presbyterian Church.
Not to be confused with Princeton University.
Princeton Seminary has had many leading biblical scholars, theologians, and clergy among its faculty and alumni. In addition, it operates the world's second largest theological library (after the Vatican) and maintains a number of special collections, including the Karl Barth Research Collection in the Center for Barth Studies. The seminary also manages an endowment of $1.459 billion in 2022,[9] making it the third-wealthiest institution of higher learning in the state of New Jersey—after Princeton University and Rutgers University.[10]
In the 1980s, Princeton Seminary enrolled about 900 students but as of Fall 2023, the seminary enrolls approximately 276 FTE students.[2] While around 26 percent of them are candidates for ministry specifically in the Presbyterian Church, the majority are completing such candidature in other denominations, pursuing careers in academia across a number of different disciplines, or receiving training for other, non-theological fields altogether.[11][12]
Seminarians hold academic reciprocity with Princeton University as well as the Westminster Choir College of Rider University, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. The institution also has an ongoing relationship with the Center of Theological Inquiry.[13]