At JSLI, full tuition is $21,750 for the class starting January 2027, or $22,250 for the class starting September 2027. That’s all-inclusive for both semesters leading to ordination. There’s also a $300 non-refundable enrollment fee, and required texts are extra. Payment plans are available, and you don’t have to pay it all up front.
How that compares
A traditional residential seminary usually means about five years of full-time study. Tuition alone across a full program commonly runs well over a hundred thousand dollars. Add years of living costs in the seminary’s city, often a year in Israel, and the income you give up while studying full-time, and the real cost can approach the price of a house.
The cost nobody quotes
The biggest cost of the traditional path is usually lost income. At JSLI you keep your job while you study one evening a week, so that cost nearly disappears. We walk through the full math in What Does Rabbinical School Cost? An Honest Look.
Questions to ask any program
Ask for the total tuition to ordination, with no later add-ons. Ask what’s not included. Ask about payment plans. And ask how the ordination is recognized for the kind of work you want to do.
See all the details on the Admission and Fees page, or read How Much Money Will I Save by Going to Rabbinical School Online?