Adult ministries director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adult ministries director. Adult ministries directors usually study theology, business, or psychology. 64% of adult ministries directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,679 real adult ministries director resumes to see exactly what adult ministries director education sections show.

The most common colleges for adult ministries directors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

There are also many online adult ministries director courses to help get the education required to be an adult ministries director.

There are certain adult ministries director certifications that you should consider. These adult ministries director certifications include Advanced Children Ministry Certification and Programming in C# Certification.

What education do you need to become an adult ministries director?

What degree do you need to be an adult ministries director?

The most common degree for adult ministries directors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of adult ministries directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 10%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an adult ministries director?

You should major in theology to become an adult ministries director. 18% of adult ministries directors major in theology. Other common majors for an adult ministries director include business and psychology.

Theology, 18%

Business, 13%

Psychology, 10%

Education, 8%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for adult ministries directors

Adult ministries directors often get their degrees at Liberty University, University of Phoenix, and Indiana Wesleyan University. Here are the most common colleges for adult ministries directors in the US based on their resumes.

Adult ministries director common college	Percentages
Liberty University	17.31%
University of Phoenix	7.05%
Indiana Wesleyan University	6.41%
Oral Roberts University	5.77%
Moody Bible Institute	5.77%

Show more common adult ministries director colleges

Best majors for adult ministries directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Theology	17.8%
2	Business	13.4%
3	Psychology	9.7%
4	Education	7.7%
5	Biblical Studies	4.6%

Show more common adult ministries director majors

Best colleges for adult ministries directors

The best colleges for adult ministries directors are University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Northwestern University.

An adult ministries director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for adult ministries directors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become adult ministries directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

5. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for adult ministries directors

Advertising disclosure

1. Start Your Traveling Ministry - Itinerant and Evangelistic

4.6

(390)

Ministry Training Institute. How do you get started with a traveling ministry?...

2. Signs, Wonders & Miracles - Healing and Deliverance Ministry

4.7

(284)

Ministry Training Institute. This course is a revelation of Divine Healing and Deliverance of demonic powers...

3. Prophetic School And Hearing The Voice of God

(392)

Learning to Minister in Power With God's Voice...

4. Train the Trainer Foundation: Adult Education Mastery Course

4.6

(1,679)

Deploy a repeatable system for employee learning to ensure you reach every learner…every time...

5. Cello for Adult Beginners

4.7

(263)

Learn With a Juilliard-Trained Professional Cellist, No Prior Experience Needed!...

6. Become a Leader Development Course with Dekker Fraser, MBA

4.7

(319)

2023 Leadership Development from an MBA with Fortune 100 Experience & Ivy League Leadership Training Become a Leader!...

7. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

4.5

(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

8. Windows Service Programming, Debugging, Installing in C#.Net

4.3

(416)

Windows Service Tutorial: How to Create Windows Services in C# .Net/Visual Studio, Windows Service debugging techniques...

9. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

4.4

(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

10. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

11. Customer Service Foundation

4.5

(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

12. Leadership Communication Skills for Influence and Impact

4.3

(4,138)

Develop the communication skills that will make you irreplaceable, influential and unstoppable as a 21st century leader...

13. Transformational Leadership: Leadership Development Training

4.3

(481)

Leadership Skills - Discover The Hidden Secrets Of The World's BEST Leaders (Leadership Development & Skills)...

14. The Leadership Masterclass - Leadership Skill Development

4.4

(377)

Leadership Development Leadership Models Leadership Principles Team Leadership Strategic Leadership Motivation...

15. Classical Guitar Course for Adults Level 1

4.3

(254)

Comprehensive guide for classical guitar beginners...

16. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

17. Practical Course in Goods and Services Tax

(314)

Learn GSTR1 and GSTR2 Returns,GSTR3B Monthly return & GSTR9 Annual return...

18. Build Your Spiritual Healing Business on a Budget

4.7

(812)

Start and Grow your Psychic, Energy healing or Spiritual Healing Business in a budget-friendly way- AND Sell your offers...

19. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

4.5

(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

20. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now

4.5

(889)

The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...

Top 10 most affordable universities for adult ministries directors

The most affordable schools for adult ministries directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, luther rice college and seminary, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for adult ministries directors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for adult ministries directors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Luther Rice College and Seminary

Lithonia, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,616

Cost of attendance

8,720

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adult ministries directors

The hardest universities for adult ministries directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for adult ministries directors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for adult ministries directors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adult ministries directors

The easiest schools for adult ministries directors to get into are Nyack College, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adult ministries director without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for adult ministries directors.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average adult ministries director salary by education level

Adult ministries directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $51,821 annually. With a Associate degree, adult ministries directors earn a median annual income of $44,425 compared to $44,296 for adult ministries directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Adult ministries director education level	Adult ministries director salary
Master's Degree	$51,821
Bachelor's Degree	$44,296
Some College/ Associate Degree	$44,425

Adult ministries director education FAQs

What is the best college for Adult Ministries Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for adult ministries director jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs