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Youth ministry director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a youth ministry director. Youth ministry directors usually study theology, business, or psychology. 71% of youth ministry directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,714 real youth ministry director resumes to see exactly what youth ministry director education sections show.
The most common colleges for youth ministry directors are the Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
There are also many online youth ministry director courses to help get the education required to be a youth ministry director.
There are certain youth ministry director certifications that you should consider. These youth ministry director certifications include Advanced Children Ministry Certification and Youth Fitness Certification.
What education do you need to become a youth ministry director?
What degree do you need to be a youth ministry director?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a youth ministry director?
- Theology, 17%
- Business, 11%
- Psychology, 10%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for youth ministry directors
| Youth ministry director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Franciscan University of Steubenville | 13.42% |
| Liberty University | 13.42% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.38% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.71% |
| Texas Tech University | 5.37% |
Best majors for youth ministry directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theology | 17.3% |
| 2 | Business | 10.8% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.5% |
| 4 | Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries | 8.3% |
| 5 | Religion | 7.6% |
Best colleges for youth ministry directors
The best colleges for youth ministry directors are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for youth ministry directors
The most affordable schools for youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry directors
The hardest universities for youth ministry directors to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry directors
The easiest schools for youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry 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 youth ministry director salary by education level
| Youth ministry director education level | Youth ministry director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,342 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,266 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,404 |
Youth ministry director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025