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Ordained minister education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an ordained minister. Ordained ministers usually study theology, business, or psychology. 47% of ordained ministers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 281 real ordained minister resumes to see exactly what ordained minister education sections show.
The most common colleges for ordained ministers are the Central State University and the Central State University.
There are also many online ordained minister courses to help get the education required to be an ordained minister.
What education do you need to become an ordained minister?
What degree do you need to be an ordained minister?
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an ordained minister?
- Theology, 29%
- Business, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Education, 5%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for ordained ministers
| Ordained minister common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Central State University | 9.38% |
| Western Michigan University | 6.25% |
| Rider University | 6.25% |
| Briarcliffe College | 6.25% |
| Wayne State University | 6.25% |
Best majors for ordained ministers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 29.1% |
| 2 | Business | 10.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.9% |
| 4 | Education | 5.1% |
| 5 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 5.1% |
Best colleges for ordained ministers
The best colleges for ordained ministers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
An ordained 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 ordained 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 ordained ministers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
5. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for ordained ministers
Advertising disclosure
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4. The Lord's Prayer
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Master professional presentation skills, develop confidence, command the room, facilitate meetings & design your speech...
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An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...
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Leading thinkers on apologetics, the evidence for God and answering objections...
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Gain Mastery of Presentation Skills and Public Speaking Skills in One Hour...
11. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking
Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...
12. Conflict Resolution for Co-Workers
You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with your co-workers, manager or peers...
13. Public Speaking for Beginners
Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...
14. Conflict Resolution and De-Escalation for Upset Customers
You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with upset clients and customers...
15. Simply Jesus
A Walk Through the Life and Times of Jesus...
16. The Storied World of the Bible
Understand how the expansive literature found in the Bible fits together into a Grand Narrative of God's actions...
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Conflict management: learn conflict resolution skills & effective listening, communication & problem solving techniques...
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Top 10 most affordable universities for ordained ministers
The most affordable schools for ordained ministers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for ordained 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 ordained 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ordained ministers
The hardest universities for ordained ministers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston College.
Some great schools for ordained 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 ordained 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ordained ministers
The easiest schools for ordained ministers 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 an ordained 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 ordained ministers.
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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Rochester University
Rochester Hills, MI • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,002
10. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
Average ordained minister salary by education level
| Ordained minister education level | Ordained minister salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,425 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,539 |
| Doctorate Degree | $52,782 |
Ordained minister education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025