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Spiritual advisor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a spiritual advisor. Spiritual advisors usually study theology, psychology, or management. 55% of spiritual advisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 127 real spiritual advisor resumes to see exactly what spiritual advisor education sections show.
The most common colleges for spiritual advisors are the Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine University.
There are also many online spiritual advisor courses to help get the education required to be a spiritual advisor.
What education do you need to become a spiritual advisor?
What degree do you need to be a spiritual advisor?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 12%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a spiritual advisor?
- Theology, 18%
- Psychology, 11%
- Management, 8%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for spiritual advisors
| Spiritual advisor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pepperdine University | 16.67% |
| Spring Arbor University | 10.00% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 6.67% |
| Bethune - Cookman University | 6.67% |
| Geneva College | 6.67% |
Best majors for spiritual advisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 17.7% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.3% |
| 3 | Management | 8.1% |
| 4 | Business | 6.5% |
| 5 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 6.5% |
Best colleges for spiritual advisors
The best colleges for spiritual advisors are Vanderbilt University, Boston College, and Harvard University.
A spiritual advisor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for spiritual advisors. 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 spiritual advisors.
1. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$52,687
Enrollment
9,392
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for spiritual advisors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for spiritual advisors
The most affordable schools for spiritual advisors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for spiritual advisors 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 spiritual advisors.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for spiritual advisors
The hardest universities for spiritual advisors to get into are Vanderbilt University, Boston College, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for spiritual advisors 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 spiritual advisors 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for spiritual advisors
The easiest schools for spiritual advisors to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and ottawa university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a spiritual advisor 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 spiritual advisors.
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. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average spiritual advisor salary by education level
| Spiritual advisor education level | Spiritual advisor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,115 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,930 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,383 |
Spiritual advisor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025