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2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools

68 Colleges
$48,450 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 15,832 people earned a degree or certificate in theological and ministerial studies, making the major the #62 most popular in the United States.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 68 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best doctor's degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for theology majors pursuing a doctor's degree.

Top 10 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools

#1

Concordia Seminary

Saint Louis, MO

Our 2023 rankings named Concordia Seminary the best school in the United States for theological and ministerial studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Concordia Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Concordia Seminary

#2

Luther Seminary

Saint Paul, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Luther Seminary. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Luther Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Luther Seminary

#3

Duke University

Durham, NC

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Duke University is a great place for theological and ministerial studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Duke University

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Notre Dame is a great place for theological and ministerial studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at University of Notre Dame

#5

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL

Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeastern University landed the # 5 spot on the list. SEU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lakeland.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Southeastern University Report

#6

Brite Divinity School

Fort Worth, TX

Brite Divinity School landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best doctor’s degree theological and ministerial studies programs. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, Brite Divinity is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Brite Divinity School

Fuller Theological Seminary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary

Saint Paul School of Theology ranked #8 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Saint Paul School of Theology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Leawood.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology Report

#9

Drew University

Madison, NJ

With a ranking of #9, Drew University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Madison, Drew is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Drew University

Dallas Theological Seminary ranked #10 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Dallas, DTS Dallas is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary Report

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Theological & Ministerial Studies students that almost earned our Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
11 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
12 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO
13 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL

Theological & Ministerial Studies by Region

View the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 7 majors within the area of study, theological and ministerial studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biblical Studies 4,119
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 3,116
Religious Education 1,417
Missionary Studies 1,220
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 1,166

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jonund.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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