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Family life minister education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a family life minister. Family life ministers usually study theology, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries, or biblical studies. 55% of family life ministers hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 175 real family life minister resumes to see exactly what family life minister education sections show.
The most common colleges for family life ministers are the Fuller Theological Seminary and the Fuller Theological Seminary.
There are also many online family life minister courses to help get the education required to be a family life minister.
What education do you need to become a family life minister?
What degree do you need to be a family life minister?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 31%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a family life minister?
- Theology, 28%
- Biblical Studies, 7%
- Education, 7%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for family life ministers
| Family life minister common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fuller Theological Seminary | 10.26% |
| Oklahoma Christian University | 5.13% |
| Appalachian State University | 5.13% |
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | 5.13% |
| Cornerstone University | 5.13% |
Best majors for family life ministers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 27.9% |
| 2 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 7.2% |
| 3 | Biblical Studies | 7.2% |
| 4 | Education | 7.2% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.3% |
Best colleges for family life ministers
The best colleges for family life ministers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A family life 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 family life 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 family life 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for family life ministers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for family life ministers
The most affordable schools for family life ministers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for family life 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 family life 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. Luther Rice College and Seminary
Lithonia, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,616
Cost of attendance
8,720
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
10. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for family life ministers
The hardest universities for family life ministers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for family life 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 family life 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for family life ministers
The easiest schools for family life ministers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, barry university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a family life 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 family life ministers.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
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. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
Average family life minister salary by education level
| Family life minister education level | Family life minister salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,226 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,697 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,842 |
Family life minister education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025