Kairos University

Private · Moderately Selective · SD

Photo: Crossontop (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationSD · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads82

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate—

6-yr grad rate—

Drop-out rate—

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$4k

Out-of-state tuition$4k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity14.6%

Gender diversity41.5%

International0%

IdentityNorth American Baptist

Overview

Kairos University, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, grew out of Sioux Falls Seminary and now operates as a competency-based institution for theological and counseling education, most of it delivered at a distance. Rather than moving students through fixed semesters and credit hours, the school has students work with a mentor team to demonstrate specific competencies at their own pace — an unusual structural choice for a religious-education institution and one it has built its identity around.

Academics

Programs concentrate in ministry, theology, and counseling fields, with the competency-based, mentor-guided model replacing the standard lecture-and-exam structure — a student progresses by demonstrating mastery of defined outcomes to a mentor team rather than accumulating credit hours over a set number of semesters. This suits students already working in ministry or counseling roles who are studying part time alongside a job.

Getting in

The program draws heavily on working adults already active in ministry or counseling vocations rather than traditional-age students arriving straight from high school, and admission expectations reflect that nontraditional, largely distance-based student body.

Worth knowing

The near-total absence of a fixed campus calendar is the key thing to understand: this is a low-residency, largely online, self-paced model built for working adults, not a traditional four-year residential experience.

kairos.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate84.6%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying