2026 Best Missionary Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Missionary Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their missionary studies programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for missionary studies students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Missionary Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Best Schools for Missionary Studies in the Great Lakes Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the missionary studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Missionary Studies

1

Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

53 Missionary Studies Degrees Awarded

$43,654 Median Starting Salary

Wheaton College Illinois tops our 2026 ranking of the best missionary studies schools. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 85% of students finish within six years. About 53 missionary studies degrees were awarded at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year. Students who receive their missionary studies degree from Wheaton College Illinois earn around $43,654 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,292 to complete this degree. See the full missionary studies program report for Wheaton College Illinois

2

Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

56 Missionary Studies Degrees Awarded

$26,236 Median Starting Salary

Moody Bible Institute came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best missionary studies schools. Moody Bible Institute is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. Moody Bible Institute awarded about 56 missionary studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their missionary studies degree from Moody Bible Institute earn around $26,236 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete this degree. See the full missionary studies program report for Moody Bible Institute

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 23 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.