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Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

11 Colleges
$39,111 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$43,075 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies School for You

In 2020-2021, 837 degrees and certificates were awarded to theological and ministerial studies students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #49 most popular major in the state.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for theology students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools

$14,520 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Lincoln Christian University the best value school in Illinois for theological and ministerial studies students. Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Lincoln.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary are $14,520 per year. After completing their degree, theology graduates from Lincoln Christian College and Seminary carry an average student debtload of $23,613.

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#2

Moody Bible Institute

Chicago, IL
$14,335 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Moody Bible Institute landed the # 2 spot on the list. Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School are $14,335 a year. While working on their degree, theology majors at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School accumulate an average of around $9,750 in student debt.

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Out of the 11 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, McCormick Theological Seminary landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, McCormick Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL
$37,440 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Olivet Nazarene University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Olivet Nazarene are $37,440 a year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois list. LSTC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

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Meadville Lombard Theological School came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, Meadville Lombard Theological School is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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$40,820 Average Tuition & Fees

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Wheaton.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wheaton College Illinois are $40,820 per year.

Wheaton College Illinois excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois list.

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Northern Baptist Theological Seminary landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value theological and ministerial studies programs. Northern Seminary is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lisle.

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$47,808 Average Tuition & Fees

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for theological and ministerial studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Loyola Chicago are $47,808 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Loyola Chicago also is in the top 20% of our Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois ranking.

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$33,298 Average Tuition & Fees

Trinity International University - Illinois ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Deerfield, TIU Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at TIU Illinois are $33,298 a year.

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Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 381
Ohio 609
Indiana 402
Wisconsin 82

Theological & Ministerial Studies is one of 7 different types of programs to choose from.

Majors Similar 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 11 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.

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