Youth pastor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a youth pastor. Youth pastors usually study theology, pastoral counseling and specialized ministries, or biblical studies. 64% of youth pastors hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,990 real youth pastor resumes to see exactly what youth pastor education sections show.

The most common colleges for youth pastors are the Liberty University and the Liberty University.

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

There are certain youth pastor certifications that you should consider. These youth pastor certifications include Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Pastoral Counseling Certification.

What education do you need to become a youth pastor?

What degree do you need to be a youth pastor?

The most common degree for youth pastors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of youth pastors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a youth pastor?

You should major in theology to become a youth pastor. 27% of youth pastors major in theology. Other common majors for a youth pastor include pastoral counseling and specialized ministries and biblical studies.

Theology, 27%

Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries, 13%

Biblical Studies, 11%

Business, 8%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for youth pastors

Youth pastors often get their degrees at Liberty University, Lee University, and Central State University. Here are the most common colleges for youth pastors in the US based on their resumes.

Youth pastor common college	Percentages
Liberty University	24.54%
Lee University	7.57%
Central State University	7.11%
Southeastern University	6.19%
Moody Bible Institute	5.73%

Show more common youth pastor colleges

Best majors for youth pastors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Theology	27.1%
2	Pastoral Counseling And Specialized Ministries	12.7%
3	Biblical Studies	10.9%
4	Business	7.9%
5	Religion	6.6%

Show more common youth pastor majors

Best colleges for youth pastors

The best colleges for youth pastors are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Boston College.

A youth 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 youth 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 youth pastors.

1. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

2. Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$25,598

Enrollment

2,189

3. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

7. Oklahoma Baptist University

Shawnee, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$28,258

Enrollment

1,808

8. North Park University

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$29,860

Enrollment

1,967

9. Eastern University

Saint Davids, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$32,947

Enrollment

1,844

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for youth pastors

Advertising disclosure

1. Start Your Traveling Ministry - Itinerant and Evangelistic

4.6

(390)

Ministry Training Institute. How do you get started with a traveling ministry?...

2. Signs, Wonders & Miracles - Healing and Deliverance Ministry

4.7

(284)

Ministry Training Institute. This course is a revelation of Divine Healing and Deliverance of demonic powers...

3. Prophetic School And Hearing The Voice of God

(392)

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

4. Customer Service Foundation

4.5

(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

5. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

4.4

(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

6. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

4.5

(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

7. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now

4.5

(889)

The basic golden rules to kickstart your service...

8. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

9. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

10. Customer Service

4.6

(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

11. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

4.5

(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

12. Public Speaking and Presenting at Work

4.5

(6,108)

Master professional presentation skills, develop confidence, command the room, facilitate meetings & design your speech...

13. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!

4.5

(292)

Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...

14. Java Web Services

4.6

(9,155)

Learn how to design,create , consume and secure SOAP and REST web services from scratch in easy steps...

15. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification

4.6

(1,480)

World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...

16. SAP Customer Service (CS/SM) - Service Management module

4.4

(960)

Real World SAP CS and SD, Repair Orders, Service Orders, Service Contracts...

17. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

4.5

(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

18. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

4.5

(2,276)

3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...

19. IT Service Management with ITIL 4 Foundation -Full Training

4.1

(1,604)

Learn about ITIL 4, ITSM, Concepts of Service Management, the Four Dimensions, Service Value System and Practices...

20. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

Top 10 most affordable universities for youth pastors

The most affordable schools for youth pastors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, luther rice college and seminary, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for youth 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 youth pastors.

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. Luther Rice College and Seminary

Lithonia, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,616

Cost of attendance

8,720

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 youth pastors

The hardest universities for youth pastors to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for youth 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 youth 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

4. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

5. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for youth pastors

The easiest schools for youth pastors to get into are Nyack College, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

Average youth pastor salary by education level

Youth pastors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $41,029 annually. With a Master's degree, youth pastors earn a median annual income of $40,613 compared to $38,728 for youth pastors with an Bachelor's degree.

Youth pastor education level	Youth pastor salary
Master's Degree	$40,613
Bachelor's Degree	$38,728
Doctorate Degree	$41,029

Youth pastor education FAQs

What is the best college for Youth Pastors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

Search for youth pastor jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs