The Wide Gender Gap in Enrollment and Faculty Positions at Theological Schools

The Association of Theological Schools has about 270 member institutions in the United States and Canada. The association recently made public data on the racial and diversity of the student bodies and the faculties at member schools.

According to the data, there were 71,182 students enrolled at member institutions in 2015. Of these, 23,804 were women. Men made up 66.6 percent of all students at these theological schools.

There were wide differences in the gender gap when race was considered. For example, in 2015 women were 32 percent of all White women in enrolled in theology schools. But women made up 47 percent of all Black enrollments.

The number of women enrolled at these schools dropped from 25,236 in 2011 to 23,804 in 2015, a decrease of nearly 6 percent. During the same period, male enrollments also decreased but by only 2.3 percent.

The report found 3,459 full-time faculty members at the schools of theology. Of these only 838, or 24.2 percent, were women.