2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master'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 Master's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 132 schools in the United States to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 15% Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Wartburg Theological Seminary the best school in the United States for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Wartburg Seminary is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Concordia Theological Seminary is a great place for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Concordia Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Wayne.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Concordia Seminary. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Concordia Seminary is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of New York, HUC - JIR is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Luther Seminary is a great place for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Luther Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul.
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With a ranking of #6, Saint Paul School of Theology did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Saint Paul School of Theology is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Leawood.
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Olivet Nazarene University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais.
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Ohio Christian University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for theological and ministerial studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the town of Circleville, OCU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Meadville Lombard Theological School did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for theological and ministerial studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Meadville Lombard Theological School is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
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With a ranking of #10, Grand Canyon University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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Southeastern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for theological and ministerial studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. SEU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Lakeland.
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University of Notre Dame came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame.
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Dallas Theological Seminary did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for theological and ministerial studies students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the large city of Dallas, DTS Dallas is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Fuller Theological Seminary ranked #14 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Duke University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
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Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, LSTC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #17, Brite Divinity School did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Brite Divinity is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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With a ranking of #18, Drew University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the suburb of Madison, Drew is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Sewanee - The University of the South came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sewanee.
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Here are some additional great schools for Theological & Ministerial Studies students that almost earned our Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN |
| 21 | Western Seminary | Portland, OR |
| 22 | The Master’s University and Seminary | Santa Clarita, CA |
| 23 | Asbury Theological Seminary | Wilmore, KY |
| 24 | Crown College | Saint Bonifacius, MN |
| 25 | Colorado Christian University | Lakewood, CO |
| 26 | Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary | Kansas City, MO |
Theological & Ministerial Studies by Region
View the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master'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 |
More Theological & Ministerial Studies Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Theology
One of 7 majors within the area of study, theological and ministerial studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Theology
| 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.