North Central Theological Seminary Reviews, Complaints & Contacts

North Central Theological Seminary is not accredited by any accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or CHEA. NCTS's own site lists three religious accreditors (AICCS, ACBHE, and the Association of Christian Distance Education) that are not on the federal/CHEA recognized lists, and the school states on its own accreditation page that it is still "preparing to apply" for DoE-recognized accreditation. It operates in Florida under a religious-institution exemption (F.S. §1005.06(1)(f)), which is a registration, not an accreditation.

North Central Theological Seminary's Bachelor of Theology in Biblical Studies page does not state a tuition amount. It describes payment as a tuition donation made at registration through a Donate Now button, or by check or money order mailed to its Business Office, and says monthly payment options are available. The page lists a subsidized scholarship that covers up to 80% of tuition depending on the student's performance on the school's online Biblical evaluation test. It also lists a $35 penalty if a student does not complete the timed online final test on time, and a $75 application fee for the award of a Master of Theology degree.

North Central Theological Seminary's Bachelor of Theology in Biblical Studies page says students are free to withdraw at any time. It also says that refunds are issued on a prorated basis at the seminary's discretion on grounds of extreme hardship, which must be proven by a letter sent by certified mail. The page lists divorce, death in the family, sudden unemployment or illness as extreme hardships, and says refunds are issued to any student called to service in the United States Armed Forces or the armed forces of the student's country of origin. The certified withdrawal letter goes to the seminary's Administration Office at 7901 4th St N STE 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

North Central Theological Seminary is an online seminary based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Its accreditation page says the Florida Department of Education recognizes it as a Florida registered non-profit seminary that complied with Section 1005.06(1)(f) of the Florida Statutes, the provision for religious institutions. The page also says that it is currently accredited by a religious organization not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, and that it is preparing to apply for regional accreditation from an agency recognized by that department. BBB lists a file opened November 13, 2012 with an A+ rating, names Philip Jegede among its directors, and shows the seminary is not BBB-accredited. In May 2016 the seminary sued the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota over an F rating, and on June 10, 2016 a judge denied its request for a temporary injunction, the Star Tribune reported.

North Central Theological Seminary describes itself as a Florida registered online non-profit seminary approved to offer its religious educational programs under Section 1005.06(1)(f) of the Florida Statutes. Its site lists certificate programs and Bachelor of Theology, Master of Theology, Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, Doctor of Divinity and Ph.D programs. It states that it dissolved its existence in Minnesota effective June 9, 2020. The seminary lists 7901 4th St N STE 8040, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 and the phone (727) 304-5529 on its site.

USAComplaints.com found no government finding that labels North Central Theological Seminary a diploma mill. It is a real, Florida-registered religious institution with graded coursework reported by at least one student reviewer. However, several real concerns are documented: it lacks DoE/CHEA-recognized accreditation, offers an honorary Doctor of Divinity track requiring only 75 multiple-choice questions and a short essay, and a ComplaintsBoard reviewer questioned its practices directly. Prospective students should weigh these facts themselves rather than rely on the school's own accreditation claims.

North Central Theological Seminary's registered address, 7901 4th St N STE 8040, St. Petersburg, FL 33702, is a commercial mail-receiving/virtual-office facility (Sasquatch Mail), not a campus — consistent with it being a fully online school. It previously operated out of Minnesota (Columbia Heights, MN) before dissolving its Minnesota registration on June 9, 2020.