2023 Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 68 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value doctor's degree programs for theology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to be the best value school for theological and ministerial studies students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in the United States. MBTS is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Kansas City.
MBTS graduate students pay an average of $6,950 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Piedmont International University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Winston-Salem, Piedmont International University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Piedmont International University are $8,410 per year.
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Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Lincoln Christian University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of Lincoln, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary are $8,812 a year.
Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Lincoln Christian University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Luther Rice College & Seminary. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Lithonia, Luther Rice is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Luther Rice are $6,618 per year.
Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Luther Rice College & Seminary
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The excellent doctor’s degree programs at Ashland University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value theological and ministerial studies schools in the United States. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Ashland.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Ashland are $6,972 per year.
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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 doctor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. SEU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Lakeland.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SEU are $12,350 per year.
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Clarks Summit University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of South Abington Township, CSU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at CSU are $7,020 a year.
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With a ranking of #8, Grace College and Theological Seminary did quite well on this year’s best value schools for theological and ministerial studies students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the town of Winona Lake, Grace College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Grace College are $8,054 per year.
Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary Report
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Nazarene Theological Seminary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Kansas City, Nazarene Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Nazarene Theological Seminary graduate students pay an average of $10,210 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Nazarene Theological Seminary Report
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Saint Paul School of Theology landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree theological and ministerial studies programs. Saint Paul School of Theology is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Leawood.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Saint Paul School of Theology are $12,666 per year.
Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology Report
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 12 | Bethel University Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 13 | Houston Graduate School of Theology | Houston, TX |
Theological & Ministerial Studies by Region
View the Best Value 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 |
More Theological & Ministerial Studies Rankings
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 26 schools only.
- 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.