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2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools

132 Colleges
$40,590 Avg Salary
$26,272 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies School for You

In 2020-2021, 12,534 people earned a degree or certificate in theological and ministerial studies, making the major the #25 most popular in the United States.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.

The Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 132 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools in the United States

The following schools top our list of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Colleges.

Top 15% Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools

Our analysis found Wartburg Theological Seminary to be the best school for theological and ministerial studies students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Wartburg Seminary is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary Report

Out of the 132 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion landed the # 2 spot on the list. HUC - JIR is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York.

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

#3

Concordia Seminary

Saint Louis, MO

Out of the 132 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia Seminary landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, Concordia Seminary is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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Out of the 132 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia Theological Seminary landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Fort Wayne, Concordia Theological Seminary is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#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 Schools list. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Luther Seminary is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Luther Seminary Report

Saint Paul School of Theology landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. Located in the suburb of Leawood, Saint Paul School of Theology is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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

#7

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

With a ranking of #7, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students. Located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#8

Ohio Christian University

Circleville, OH

Ohio Christian University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. OCU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Circleville.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Ohio Christian University Report

Meadville Lombard Theological School landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. Located in the city of Chicago, Meadville Lombard Theological School is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School

#10

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ

Grand Canyon University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools list. Grand Canyon University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the large city of Phoenix.

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

#11

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL

Southeastern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Lakeland, SEU is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at Southeastern University Report

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

With a ranking of #12, University of Notre Dame did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Theological & Ministerial Studies at University of Notre Dame Report

With a ranking of #13, Dallas Theological Seminary did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students. DTS Dallas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Dallas.

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 Schools ranking. Fuller is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pasadena.

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

#15

Duke University

Durham, NC

Duke University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Duke University

#16

Brite Divinity School

Fort Worth, TX

Brite Divinity School landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. Brite Divinity is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Fort Worth.

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

With a ranking of #17, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for theological and ministerial studies students. LSTC is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

#18

Drew University

Madison, NJ

Drew University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best theological and ministerial studies programs. Drew is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Madison.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Drew University

#19

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools list. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Read full report on Theological & Ministerial Studies at Vanderbilt University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools award.

Rank College Location
20 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
21 The Master’s University and Seminary Santa Clarita, CA
22 Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN
23 Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO
24 Western Seminary Portland, OR
25 Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO
26 Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma City, OK

Theological & Ministerial Studies by Region

View the Best Theological & Ministerial Studies Schools for a specific region near you.

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

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries 1,624
Biblical Studies 1,052
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other) 777
Religious Education 687
Missionary Studies 423

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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