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Student ministries director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a student ministries director. Student ministries directors usually study theology, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries, or business. 74% of student ministries directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 859 real student ministries director resumes to see exactly what student ministries director education sections show.

The most common colleges for student ministries directors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

There are also many online student ministries director courses to help get the education required to be a student ministries director.

What education do you need to become a student ministries director?

What degree do you need to be a student ministries director?

The most common degree for student ministries directors is bachelor's degree, with 74% of student ministries directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 74%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a student ministries director?

You should major in theology to become a student ministries director. 17% of student ministries directors major in theology. Other common majors for a student ministries director include pastoral counseling and specialized ministries and business.

Most common colleges for student ministries directors

Student ministries directors often get their degrees at Liberty University, Moody Bible Institute, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for student ministries directors in the US based on their resumes.
Student ministries director common collegePercentages
Liberty University18.63%
Moody Bible Institute6.86%
Texas A&M University5.88%
Southeastern University5.88%
University of Georgia5.88%

Best majors for student ministries directors

Best colleges for student ministries directors

The best colleges for student ministries directors are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A student ministries director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for student ministries directors. 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 student ministries directors.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

8. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

20 best online courses for student ministries directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for student ministries directors

The most affordable schools for student ministries directors 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 student ministries directors 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 student ministries directors.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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 student ministries directors

The hardest universities for student ministries directors to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for student ministries directors 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 student ministries directors 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for student ministries directors

The easiest schools for student ministries directors 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 student ministries director 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 student ministries directors.

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

7. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average student ministries director salary by education level

According to our data, student ministries directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,275 annually. Student ministries directors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $44,324.
Student ministries director education levelStudent ministries director salary
Master's Degree$52,275
Bachelor's Degree$44,186
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,324

Student ministries director 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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