Fifty-six percent of rabbinical students and 40 percent of mainline Protestant seminarians plan to work in local congregations, while only 35 percent of Catholic and 28 percent of evangelical students have similar plans.
Female students are also less likely to train for congregational ministry.
In another surprising finding, half of those who will occupy church and synagogue pulpits have switched denominations or faith traditions. Half of all seminarians are women, and most have worked as professionals for at least 10 years before entering seminary. The bulk of students come from the white middle class and are evenly spread out between urban, suburban and rural backgrounds. A major divide develops, however, between older, professional students and younger students straight out of college. Younger students tend to be better educated, but older students have their own strengths, according to the report.