Pastoral assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pastoral assistant. Pastoral assistants usually study theology, business, or religion. 57% of pastoral assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 624 real pastoral assistant resumes to see exactly what pastoral assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for pastoral assistants are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

There are also many online pastoral assistant courses to help get the education required to be a pastoral assistant.

There are certain pastoral assistant certifications that you should consider. These pastoral assistant certifications include Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become a pastoral assistant?

What degree do you need to be a pastoral assistant?

The most common degree for pastoral assistants is bachelor's degree, with 57% of pastoral assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 13%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a pastoral assistant?

You should major in theology to become a pastoral assistant. 25% of pastoral assistants major in theology. Other common majors for a pastoral assistant include business and religion.

Theology, 25%

Business, 16%

Religion, 7%

Psychology, 6%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for pastoral assistants

Pastoral assistants often get their degrees at Liberty University, University of Washington, and Asbury Theological Seminary. Here are the most common colleges for pastoral assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Pastoral assistant common college	Percentages
Liberty University	8.70%
University of Washington	6.52%
Asbury Theological Seminary	6.52%
Regis University	6.52%
Ball State University	6.52%

Show more common pastoral assistant colleges

Best majors for pastoral assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Theology	25.1%
2	Business	16.5%
3	Religion	7.2%
4	Psychology	5.8%
5	Biblical Studies	4.8%

Show more common pastoral assistant majors

Best colleges for pastoral assistants

The best colleges for pastoral assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

A pastoral assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for pastoral assistants. 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 pastoral assistants.

1. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

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. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

20 best online courses for pastoral assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pastoral assistants

The most affordable schools for pastoral assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for pastoral assistants 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 pastoral assistants.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. Luther Rice College and Seminary

Lithonia, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,616

Cost of attendance

8,720

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pastoral assistants

The hardest universities for pastoral assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for pastoral assistants 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 pastoral assistants 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pastoral assistants

The easiest schools for pastoral assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, nyack college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pastoral assistant 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 pastoral assistants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

Average pastoral assistant salary by education level

According to our data, pastoral assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $43,187 annually. Pastoral assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,364.

Pastoral assistant education level	Pastoral assistant salary
Master's Degree	$43,187
High School Diploma or Less	$38,802
Bachelor's Degree	$41,364
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,356

Pastoral assistant education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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