Saint John’s Seminary, an independent, nonprofit institution, is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NECHE) through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
The Seminary is also affiliated with the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) as approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Holy See.
The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275
Telephone: 412-788-6505
Fax: 412-788-6510
www.ats.edu
New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880
Telephone: 781.425.7785
www.neche.org
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas
Largo Angelicum, 1
00184 Roma RM
Italy
Tel: (+39) 06.6702354
angelicum.it
Results of the 2024 Association of Theological Schools Comprehensive Evaluation
During the 2024 fall term (Oct. 28-31), ATS conducted a comprehensive visit and evaluation for the reaccreditation of Saint John's. Based on the results of this comprehensive evaluation, the ATS Board of Commissioners voted in February on the accreditation status of the Seminary. The results of this vote were to reaffirm the Seminary's accreditation for the next seven years until March 31, 2032. The Board also praised (1) the devotion to mission and joyful community life found at SJS, (2) the sound integration of the four dimensions (intellectual, spiritual, human, and pastoral), and (3) the clear commitment to evaluation of the educational aspects of the institution.
At the same time, the ATS Board decided to issue a formal warning to the Seminary, "because the school, while substantially meeting the Commission Standards of Accreditation as a whole, is at risk of . . . not having sufficient and stable financial resources to achieve its mission with educational quality and financial sustainability.” Such a financial situation is not uncommon among seminaries at this time. Many at SJS expected ATS to cite the institution for this issue regarding long-term financial resources, so that this warning came as no surprise.
ATS allows a school two years to address a formal warning sufficiently. The Seminary continues to work actively with the Archdiocese of Boston and its other partners to ensure the stable financial future of the Seminary.
