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College ministry pastor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a college ministry pastor. College ministry pastors usually study theology, biblical studies, or pastoral counseling and specialized ministries. 71% of college ministry pastors hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 328 real college ministry pastor resumes to see exactly what college ministry pastor education sections show.
The most common colleges for college ministry pastors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online college ministry pastor courses to help get the education required to be a college ministry pastor.
What education do you need to become a college ministry pastor?
What degree do you need to be a college ministry pastor?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a college ministry pastor?
- Theology, 26%
- Biblical Studies, 15%
- Business, 7%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for college ministry pastors
| College ministry pastor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 18.67% |
| Southwestern Assemblies of God University | 8.00% |
| Lee University | 6.67% |
| Azusa Pacific University | 6.67% |
| Nyack College | 5.33% |
Best majors for college ministry pastors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 26.2% |
| 2 | Biblical Studies | 14.9% |
| 3 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 12.9% |
| 4 | Business | 7.4% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.4% |
Best colleges for college ministry pastors
The best colleges for college ministry pastors are University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Northwestern University.
A college ministry 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 college ministry 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 college ministry pastors.
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 college ministry pastors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for college ministry pastors
The most affordable schools for college ministry pastors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, luther rice college and seminary, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for college ministry 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 college ministry 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. 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 college ministry pastors
The hardest universities for college ministry pastors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for college ministry 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 college ministry 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
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
4%
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 college ministry pastors
The easiest schools for college ministry pastors 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 a college ministry 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 college ministry pastors.
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 college ministry pastor salary by education level
| College ministry pastor education level | College ministry pastor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,203 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,543 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,706 |
College ministry pastor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025