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2027 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in Virginia

[Lay Ministry](/majors/theology-and-religious-vocations/pastoral-counseling-specialized-ministries/lay-ministry/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for lay ministry students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in Virginia

2027 Best Value Lay Ministry Schools in Virginia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the lay ministry degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Lay Ministry Schools

1

Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA

$21,650 In-State Tuition & Fees

$35,500 Avg Student Debt

$44,498 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Regent University the best value for a degree in lay ministry in Virginia. Regent University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. Students from in state pay about $21,650 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for lay ministry graduates is $35,500. Early-career lay ministry graduates make about $33,407. Set against $35,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.

2

Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

$16,173 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,750 Avg Student Debt

$44,813 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in lay ministry will find it at Liberty University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,173. Typical student debt for lay ministry graduates is $23,750. Soon after graduation, lay ministry degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $34,083. That is a strong return on a $23,750 median debt. Liberty University admits about 99% of applicants.

View All Lay Ministry Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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.