Mount Angel Seminary

The curriculum is unapologetically theological, offering bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Theology, plus graduate programs like the Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Master of Arts in Theology. Piano instruction—with drills on fingering and chord progressions—is a quirky but required skill for liturgical music. The seminary emphasizes Thomistic philosophy and sacramental preparation, with a 54% graduation rate that reflects the rigor of formation (many leave discerning priesthood isn’t their path).

Life here is monastic by design. Days begin with Lauds and end with Compline, punctuated by Mass and silent meals in the refectory. The 34 undergraduates share close quarters—campus housing averages $17,710 annually—with a student body that’s 48% Latino, mirroring the Church’s demographic shift. Recreation is simple: hiking the Abbey’s hilltop trails or debating Augustine in the cloister. No Greek life, no football team—just formation through liturgy and communal labor.

For those who persevere, the payoff is near-guaranteed employment—100% of MDiv graduates from 2020-2023 were placed in ministry. Median earnings six years out hit $57,436 (31% above national median), though salaries vary widely by diocese. Retention is shaky (71% freshman persistence), reflecting the intensity of discernment. The seminary proudly notes that its alumni serve from Alaska to Guatemala, often in immigrant-heavy parishes.

Formation comes at a steep price: the average net cost is $42,279/year after aid. Every freshman receives grants or scholarships (average $4,563), but institutional aid maxes out at $5,264. The Abbey subsidizes some costs—think communal living—but students still graduate with debt. The seminary’s net price?Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator warns families to budget for $17710/year just for housing, a brutal figure for those preparing for non-lucrative vocations.

Mount Angel is the only seminary in the Pacific Northwest with a Benedictine charism—think ora et labora (prayer and work) meets Latino Catholicism. Its hilltop abbey, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, is a modernist marvel overlooking hop fields. The seminary’s 100% placement rate for priests is unmatched by larger rivals, and its cultural diversity (Vietnamese, Tongan, and Mexican seminarians debating theology in the cloister) makes it a laboratory for the Church’s future.