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Senior high pastor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior high pastor. Senior high pastors usually study business, religion, or theology. 49% of senior high pastors hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 156 real senior high pastor resumes to see exactly what senior high pastor education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior high pastors are the Miami Dade College and the Miami Dade College.

There are also many online senior high pastor courses to help get the education required to be a senior high pastor.

What education do you need to become a senior high pastor?

What degree do you need to be a senior high pastor?

The most common degree for senior high pastors is bachelor's degree, with 49% of senior high pastors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Master's, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 14%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a senior high pastor?

You should major in business to become a senior high pastor. 17% of senior high pastors major in business. Other common majors for a senior high pastor include religion and theology.

Most common colleges for senior high pastors

Senior high pastors often get their degrees at Miami Dade College, University of North Texas, and Liberty University. Here are the most common colleges for senior high pastors in the US based on their resumes.
Senior high pastor common collegePercentages
Miami Dade College19.23%
University of North Texas7.69%
Liberty University7.69%
Wayne State College3.85%
University of Houston3.85%

Best majors for senior high pastors

Best colleges for senior high pastors

The best colleges for senior high pastors are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Emory University.

A senior high 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 senior high 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 senior high 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

8. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for senior high pastors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior high pastors

The most affordable schools for senior high pastors are Luther Rice College and Seminary, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for senior high 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 senior high pastors.

1. Luther Rice College and Seminary

Lithonia, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,616

Cost of attendance

8,720

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior high pastors

The hardest universities for senior high pastors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and Emory University.

Some great schools for senior high 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 senior high 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

4. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior high pastors

The easiest schools for senior high pastors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, nyack college, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior high 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 senior high pastors.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average senior high pastor salary by education level

Senior high pastors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $47,015 annually. With a Associate degree, senior high pastors earn a median annual income of $39,703 compared to $39,577 for senior high pastors with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior high pastor education levelSenior high pastor salary
Master's Degree$47,015
Bachelor's Degree$39,577
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,703

Senior high pastor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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