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Worship leader education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a worship leader. Worship leaders usually study music, theology, or business. 65% of worship leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,261 real worship leader resumes to see exactly what worship leader education sections show.

The most common colleges for worship leaders are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

There are also many online worship leader courses to help get the education required to be a worship leader.

What education do you need to become a worship leader?

What degree do you need to be a worship leader?

The most common degree for worship leaders is bachelor's degree, with 65% of worship leaders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Associate, 12%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a worship leader?

You should major in music to become a worship leader. 25% of worship leaders major in music. Other common majors for a worship leader include theology and business.

Most common colleges for worship leaders

Worship leaders often get their degrees at Liberty University, University of Phoenix, and Belmont University. Here are the most common colleges for worship leaders in the US based on their resumes.
Worship leader common collegePercentages
Liberty University24.71%
University of Phoenix6.84%
Belmont University6.46%
Texas A&M University4.94%
Oral Roberts University4.56%

Best majors for worship leaders

RankMajorPercentages
1Music25.1%
2Theology10.7%
3Business8.8%
4General Education, Specific Areas7.7%
5Psychology6.2%

Best colleges for worship leaders

The best colleges for worship leaders are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.

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

1. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

3. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$48,522

Enrollment

6,557

4. North Park University

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$29,860

Enrollment

1,967

5. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$52,687

Enrollment

9,392

6. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$38,178

Enrollment

6,008

7. Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$25,870

Enrollment

5,570

8. Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$32,000

Enrollment

2,010

9. Indiana Wesleyan University

Marion, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$26,630

Enrollment

2,647

10. Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$25,598

Enrollment

2,189

20 best online courses for worship leaders

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Learning to Minister in Power With God's Voice...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for worship leaders

The most affordable schools for worship leaders 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 worship leaders 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 worship leaders.

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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for worship leaders

The hardest universities for worship leaders to get into are Emory University, Boston College, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for worship leaders 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 worship leaders 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. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for worship leaders

The easiest schools for worship leaders to get into are Barry University, nyack college, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a worship leader 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 worship leaders.

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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average worship leader salary by education level

According to our data, worship leaders with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,414 annually. Worship leaders with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $49,473.
Worship leader education levelWorship leader salary
Master's Degree$49,473
Bachelor's Degree$45,310
Doctorate Degree$50,414

Worship leader 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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