Palmer Seminary's mission is to preach the whole gospel to the whole world through whole persons. To realize this mission, the seminary is dedicated to educational excellence and has developed a culture of assessment to assure its attainment.
While the entire seminary community collaborates in the creation of this culture, the value of this educational assessment data inheres in the articulation of clearly defined student learning assessment outcomes and benchmarks by the Seminary faculty. Assessment plans end-of-the-year Student Learning Assessment reports are submitted to the Office of Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment of Eastern University in June every year.
The following programs are approved by ATS: Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Practical Theology, and Doctor of Ministry.
Association of Theological Schools Graduating Student Questionnaire (June 2025)
All ratings on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all effective, very dissatisfied, or strongly disagree, and 5 being very effective, very satisfied, or strongly agree.
| Palmer | National Average | |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Effectiveness and Personal Growth | ||
| Trust in God | 4.6 | 4.3 |
| Enthusiasm for learning | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Ability to live my faith in daily life | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Self-discipline and focus | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Strength of spiritual life | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| Educational Effectiveness in Facilitating Skill Areas | ||
| Ability to think theologically | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Ability to interpret Scripture | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Awareness/appreciation of globalized context in ministry | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Ability to work effectively with both men and women | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Satisfaction with Palmer | ||
| Quality of teaching | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Ease in scheduling required courses | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Spiritual formation | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| School website/internet-based resources | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Overall Experience at Palmer | ||
| I have grown spiritually | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| I have felt accepted within this school community | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Faculty were supportive and understanding | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| I have been satisfied with my academic experience | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| My personal faith has been respected | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| I am able to integrate theology/practice of ministry | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Other faith traditions have been respected | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| School community was diverse and inclusive | 4.8 | 4.2 |
| If I had to do this over again, I would still come here | 4.9 | 4.4 |
Student Retention Rates:
Findings:
The Fall 24-Fall 25 retention rate for all Master’s programs was 79%.
The Fall 24-Fall 25 retention rate for the Doctoral program was 75%.
Student Completion
Master of Divinity (MDiv)
Findings: In 2025-26, there were 14 MDiv graduates.
Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
Findings: In 2025-26, there were 30 MTS graduates.
Master of Practical Theology (MPT)
Findings: In 2025-26, there were 4 MPT graduates.
Doctor of Divinity (DMin)
Findings: In 2025-26, there were 7 DMin graduates.