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Children's pastor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a children's pastor. Children's pastors usually study theology, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries, or education. 63% of children's pastors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 696 real children's pastor resumes to see exactly what children's pastor education sections show.
The most common colleges for children's pastors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online children's pastor courses to help get the education required to be a children's pastor.
What education do you need to become a children's pastor?
What degree do you need to be a children's pastor?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a children's pastor?
- Theology, 25%
- Education, 10%
- Biblical Studies, 9%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for children's pastors
| Children's pastor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 13.13% |
| Central State University | 10.10% |
| Southwestern Assemblies of God University | 8.08% |
| Southeastern University | 7.07% |
| Lee University | 6.06% |
Best majors for children's pastors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 25.3% |
| 2 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 9.9% |
| 3 | Education | 9.6% |
| 4 | Biblical Studies | 9.0% |
| 5 | Business | 7.6% |
Best colleges for children's pastors
The best colleges for children's pastors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A children's pastor 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 pastors. 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 pastors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
20 best online courses for children's pastors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for children's pastors
The most affordable schools for children's pastors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for children's pastors 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 pastors.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Luther Rice College and Seminary
Lithonia, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,616
Cost of attendance
8,720
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for children's pastors
The hardest universities for children's pastors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for children's pastors 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 pastors 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for children's pastors
The easiest schools for children's pastors to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a children's pastor 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 pastors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average children's pastor salary by education level
| Children's pastor education level | Children's pastor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $46,743 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,167 |
| Doctorate Degree | $47,787 |
Children's pastor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025