A steep decline in seminary enrollment is creating a leadership vacuum in American churches, with the number of people training to become pastors falling sharply. Master of Divinity enrollment at accredited schools under the Association of Theological Schools dropped 14% from 2020 to 2024, according to data cited by Axios.
Graduate and college-level enrollment at Catholic seminaries also fell significantly in the 2024-2025 academic year, per the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. The decline is hitting Black Protestant communities especially hard: enrollment in Master of Divinity and professional M.A. programs dropped 31% from 2000 to 2020.