Gateway Seminary Reports Record Enrollment for Fall Semester

Gateway Seminary, a Southern Baptist institution based in Ontario, California, has announced record-breaking enrollment for the fall 2026 semester. The school reports a total of 1,095 students, an increase from the 971 students enrolled in the fall of 2025. Additionally, the seminary welcomed 338 new students, marking the largest incoming class in the institution's history. Total credit hours reached 5,240, the highest figure recorded since the campus relocated to its current location in 2016.

Seminary President Adam Groza attributed the growth to the support of Southern Baptist churches and a student body eager to engage with Scripture. He noted that the school’s focus on preaching, missions, and evangelism—including a program offering fully-funded overseas mission trips—has resonated with students. Groza further suggested that the faculty's commitment to the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture, as outlined in the Baptist Faith and Message, attracts students who are preparing for ministry in increasingly secular environments.

The reported figures include students in master’s, doctorate, and certificate programs, though they exclude participants in the Doctor of Ministry cohort and the unaccredited ADVANCE leadership program. This growth occurs as many other American seminaries face declining enrollment and financial difficulties.