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2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master's Degree Schools

132 Colleges
$45,172 Avg Salary

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 small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Concordia Theological Seminary. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Concordia Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Fort Wayne.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Concordia Theological Seminary Report

#3

Concordia Seminary

Saint Louis, MO

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 large suburb of Saint Louis.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Concordia Seminary

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. It ranked #4 on our 2023 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 fairly small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

#5

Luther Seminary

Saint Paul, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Luther Seminary. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Luther Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Luther Seminary Report

Saint Paul School of Theology landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree theological and ministerial studies programs. Saint Paul School of Theology is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Leawood.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology

#7

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

Olivet Nazarene 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 #7 on the list. Olivet Nazarene is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bourbonnais.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Olivet Nazarene University Report

#8

Ohio Christian University

Circleville, OH

Ohio Christian University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the distant town of Circleville, OCU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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Meadville Lombard Theological School ranked #9 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Meadville Lombard Theological School is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

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#10

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

Grand Canyon 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 #10 on the list. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Grand Canyon University

#11

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL

With a ranking of #11, Southeastern University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. SEU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lakeland.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Southeastern University

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame ranked #12 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. 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

Dallas Theological Seminary came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools ranking. 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

Fuller Theological Seminary came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Fuller is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#15

Duke University

Durham, NC

With a ranking of #15, Duke University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their master’s degree. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Duke University Report

Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 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 #16 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, LSTC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#17

Brite Divinity School

Fort Worth, TX

Brite Divinity 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 #17 on the list. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Brite Divinity is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#18

Drew University

Madison, NJ

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 large suburb of Madison, Drew is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Drew University

Sewanee - The University of the South ranked #19 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sewanee.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Sewanee - The University of the South

Honorable Mentions

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

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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