Educational Institutions
Educational Institutions at a Glance
Everyday life has changed significantly since the first Presbyterian schools were founded in America in the 18th century. Today, PC(USA)-related theological seminaries, colleges and universities, and secondary schools carry on the tradition of providing educated leadership for congregations from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Rim. They also put students from an array of backgrounds on the path to professional fulfillment.
Each seminary is represented on the Committee On Theological Education (COTE), where institutional representatives meet with General Assembly-elected members. Today, the PC(USA) seminaries have been entrusted to provide the educational foundation pastors need to be able to preach, teach, pray, and lead.
Together they:
- Prepare people to be pastors, educators, and musicians for congregations.
- Provide continuing education and advanced degree programs for ministers of the Word and Sacrament and for lay church leaders.
- Serve as centers for theological discourse, reflection, and research for the benefit of the wider church during changing times.
- Provide a Presbyterian ethos for learning and spiritual formation — theological education in the Reformed tradition.
Find a PC(USA) Theological Seminary
While united in their commitment to Jesus Christ, educational excellence, and the PC(USA), theological schools differ in significant ways. The links below provide profiles of individual COTE seminaries, summarizing what each school can offer people seeking to enhance their preparation for ministry in the church of Jesus Christ.
Presbyterian institutions value learning, faith, service, and connection to each other, the church, and the world, honoring the dignity and worth of every person. Stretching across the United States and around the world, Presbyterian-related colleges and universities serve more than 140,000 students each year.
Access resources and information from the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities (APCU), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the support and advancement of colleges and universities founded by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Use the featured resources below to find a clickable list of PC(USA)-affiliated colleges, universities, and secondary schools, and to find out about scholarship opportunities linked to those institutions and to theological seminaries.
