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2024 Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region

18 Colleges in the Southeast Region
787 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$29,307 Avg Early-Career Salary
Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #171 out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 787 degrees in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries School

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region The pastoral counseling program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries rankings. We derive our Best Overall Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling
Bachelor's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling
Master's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling
Doctor's Degrees in Pastoral Counseling

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries in the Southeast Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the pastoral counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Pastoral Counseling

1
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In GA

Any student who is interested in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries needs to look into Emory University. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 2 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Emory University

2
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$26,666 Median Starting Salary

Lee University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 74 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make around $26,666 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Lee University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
37 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded

Southeastern University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. SEU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Lakeland. A Best Colleges rank of #426 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SEU is a great university overall.

There were about 37 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at SEU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Southeastern University

4
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In TN
21.4% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Johnson University if you want to pursue a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries. Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were roughly 14 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Johnson University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Johnson University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In SC
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Columbia, CIU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #158 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means CIU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 15 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at CIU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Columbia International University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In AR
50.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #618 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harding is a great university overall.

There were roughly 12 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Harding in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Harding University

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
161 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
26.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #352 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 161 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the pastoral counseling & specialized ministries program at Liberty University make $4,717 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Liberty University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In KY
66.7% Growth in Graduates

Asbury Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Wilmore.

There were about 6 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Asbury Seminary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Asbury Theological Seminary

9
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Pastoral Counseling Degrees Awarded
$26,506 Median Starting Salary

Regent is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Virginia Beach. This university ranks 20th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 36 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at Regent in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the pastoral counseling program make around $26,506 for their early career.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Regent University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In TN

FHU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Henderson. This university ranks 25th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 3 pastoral counseling & specialized ministries students who graduated with this degree at FHU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in pastoral counseling & specialized ministries from Freed-Hardeman University

Best Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries Colleges by State

Explore the best pastoral counseling & specialized ministries colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia28748
Florida28241
North Carolina27968
Virginia27493
Tennessee269146
South Carolina24823
Kentucky24486
Louisiana24272
Mississippi2340
Arkansas23420
Alabama23332

View All Rankings >

One of 7 majors within the Theology & Religious Vocations area of study, Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries has other similar majors worth exploring.

Pastoral Counseling Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Pastoral Studies/Counseling333
Other Pastoral Counseling & Specialized Ministries163
Youth Ministry142
Lay Ministry99
Women’s Ministry31
Urban Ministry19

View All Pastoral Counseling Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Theological & Ministerial Studies5,961
Biblical Studies1,485
Missionary Studies284
Religious Education266
Sacred Music242
Theology & Religious Vocations (Other)174

View All Pastoral Counseling Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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