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Music pastor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a music pastor. Music pastors usually study music, theology, or general education, specific areas. 64% of music pastors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 151 real music pastor resumes to see exactly what music pastor education sections show.
The most common colleges for music pastors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.
There are also many online music pastor courses to help get the education required to be a music pastor.
What education do you need to become a music pastor?
What degree do you need to be a music pastor?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 23%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a music pastor?
Most common colleges for music pastors
| Music pastor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Liberty University | 12.90% |
| Central State University | 12.90% |
| Lee University | 6.45% |
| Southeastern University | 6.45% |
| Trinity Baptist College | 6.45% |
Best majors for music pastors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Music | 31.1% |
| 2 | Theology | 20.0% |
| 3 | General Education, Specific Areas | 14.4% |
| 4 | Education | 3.3% |
| 5 | Business | 3.3% |
Best colleges for music pastors
The best colleges for music pastors are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.
A music 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 music 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 music pastors.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
3. Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$48,522
Enrollment
6,557
4. North Park University
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$29,860
Enrollment
1,967
5. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
6. Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$38,178
Enrollment
6,008
7. Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$25,870
Enrollment
5,570
8. Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$32,000
Enrollment
2,010
9. Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$26,630
Enrollment
2,647
10. Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$25,598
Enrollment
2,189
20 best online courses for music pastors
Advertising disclosure
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Top 10 most affordable universities for music pastors
The most affordable schools for music pastors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and luther rice college and seminary.
If the best universities for music 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 music 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for music pastors
The hardest universities for music pastors to get into are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for music 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 music 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. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for music pastors
The easiest schools for music pastors 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 music 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 music pastors.
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average music pastor salary by education level
| Music pastor education level | Music pastor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,690 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,008 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,000 |
Music pastor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025