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Children's minister education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a children's minister. Children's ministers usually study theology, education, or psychology. 63% of children's ministers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 414 real children's minister resumes to see exactly what children's minister education sections show.
The most common colleges for children's ministers are the Dallas Baptist University and the Dallas Baptist University.
There are also many online children's minister courses to help get the education required to be a children's minister.
What education do you need to become a children's minister?
What degree do you need to be a children's minister?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a children's minister?
- Theology, 22%
- Education, 12%
- Psychology, 9%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for children's ministers
| Children's minister common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Dallas Baptist University | 11.43% |
| New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary | 10.00% |
| Southern Baptist Theological Seminary | 8.57% |
| Gardner-Webb University | 5.71% |
| Samford University | 5.71% |
Best majors for children's ministers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 21.7% |
| 2 | Education | 12.2% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.1% |
| 4 | Business | 7.4% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 6.5% |
Best colleges for children's ministers
The best colleges for children's ministers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
A children's minister with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for children's ministers. 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 children's ministers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$26,630
Enrollment
2,647
10. Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$22,584
Enrollment
45,370
20 best online courses for children's ministers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for children's ministers
The most affordable schools for children's ministers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and luther rice college and seminary.
If the best universities for children's ministers 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 children's ministers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Luther Rice College and Seminary
Lithonia, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,616
Cost of attendance
8,720
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for children's ministers
The hardest universities for children's ministers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.
Some great schools for children's ministers 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 children's ministers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for children's ministers
The easiest schools for children's ministers to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a children's minister 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 children's ministers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, TX • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,085
Average children's minister salary by education level
| Children's minister education level | Children's minister salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,797 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,902 |
| Doctorate Degree | $48,917 |
Children's minister education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025